The minister for labour () was originally a position in the Government of the Irish Republic, the self-declared state which was established in 1919 by Dáil Éireann, the parliamentary assembly made up of the majority of Irish MPs elected in the 1918 general election. Constance Markievicz was the first person to hold the post. The office did not continue into the Executive Council of the Irish Free State.
The later office of Minister for Labour was created by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1966 as a member of the Government of Ireland.
In 1993, the minister's functions were transferred to the minister for enterprise and employment and was succeeded by the minister for equality and law reform, a position which existed during the Fianna Fáil–Labour coalition led by Albert Reynolds (1993–1994) and the Fine Gael–Labour–Democratic Left coalition (1994–1997) led by John Bruton. Its primary functions were in the area of civil and family law reform (including divorce legislation) and equality legislation. Under both governments, the minister for equality and law reform was Labour Party TD Mervyn Taylor, although Máire Geoghegan-Quinn served as minister between November and December 1994, after Labour had left the coalition with Fianna Fáil.
In 1997, the minister's functions were transferred to the minister for justice, equality and law reform. The Department of Equality and Law Reform ceased to exist but was not formally abolished. The functions formerly exercised by the minister for labour are now exercised by the minister for enterprise, tourism and employment. The functions formerly exercised by the minister for equality and law reform are now exercised by the minister for children, disability and equality and the minister for justice, home affairs and migration.
History Alteration of name and transfer of functions DateChange13 July 1966Establishment of the Department of Labour13 July 1966Transfer of Labour from the Department of Industry and Commerce3 October 1966Transfer of Labour from the Department of Social Welfare20 January 1993Transfer of Labour to the Department of Industry and Commerce21 January 1993Renamed as the Department of Equality and Law Reform3 February 1993Transfer of Civil law reform, civil legal aid and the family mediation service from the Department of Justice8 July 1997Transfer of Equality and Law Reform to the Department of Justice
Legislation introduced by the Department of Equality and Law Reform The following legislation was introduced by the Department: Matrimonial Home Bill 1993 (struck down by the Supreme Court) Interpretation (Amendment) Act 1993 - providing for gender inclusive language in Acts of the Oireachtas Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments Act 1993 - providing for international enforcement of civil judgments Maintenance Act 1994 - EC enforcement of maintenance orders Maternity Protection Act 1994 - implemented EC law on maternity leave Stillbirths Registration Act 1994 - provided for registration of stillborn children for the first time in Irish law Adoptive Leave Act 1995 - extended maternity leave-type rights to adoptive parents Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 - put civil legal aid scheme on statutory basis Family Law Act 1995 - reformed law relating to judicial separation Occupiers Liability Act 1995 - provided for reduced liability to trespassers and recreational users Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland 1995 - provided for divorce in the Constitution Civil Liability (Amendment) Act 1996 - provided for increased damages for fatal injuries cases Domestic Violence Act 1996 - extended remedies in domestic violence cases Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996 - introduced divorce on a statutory basis Powers of Attorney Act 1996 - provided for enduring powers of attorney Registration of Births Act 1996 - provided for gender neutral birth certificates Family Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997 - miscellaneous amendments.
The following legislation had originally been drafted by the Department but later enacted under the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform:
Children Act 1997 - extending family law entitlements of natural fathers and grandparents and other amendments Employment Equality Act 1998 Equal Status Act 2000.
List of office-holders
Minister for Labour 1919–1922NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)Constance Markievicz2 April 19199 January 1922 2nd DM3rd DMJoseph McGrath 11 January 19229 September 1922 4th DM1st PGPatrick Hogan 17 July 19229 September 1922 1st PGMinister for Labour 1966–1993NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)Patrick Hillery13 July 19662 July 1969 12thJoseph Brennan2 July 196914 March 1973 13thMichael O'Leary14 March 19735 July 1977 14thGene Fitzgerald5 July 197716 December 1980 15th16thTom Nolan16 December 198030 June 1981 16thLiam Kavanagh30 June 19819 March 1982 17thGene Fitzgerald9 March 198214 December 1982 18thLiam Kavanagh14 December 198213 December 1983 19thRuairi Quinn13 December 198320 January 1987 19thGemma Hussey20 January 198710 March 1987 19thBertie Ahern10 March 198714 November 1991 20th21stMichael O'Kennedy14 November 199111 February 1992 21stBrian Cowen11 February 199212 January 1993 22ndMervyn Taylor12 January 199321 January 1993 23rdMinister for Equality and Law Reform 1993–1997NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)Mervyn Taylor21 January 199317 November 1994 23rdMáire Geoghegan-Quinn18 November 199415 December 1994 23rdMervyn Taylor15 December 199426 June 1997 24thJohn O'Donoghue26 June 19978 July 1997 25th Notes
Minister of State at the Department of Labour 1978–1993 Under the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977, the government may appoint a member of the Oireachtas to act as a minister of state in a department. The minister of state did not hold cabinet rank. NameTerm of officePartyResponsibilitiesGovernmentSeán Calleary12 December 197930 June 1981 16thBrendan Daly25 March 198030 June 1981 George Birmingham16 December 198213 February 1986 Youth Affairs19thEnda Kenny18 February 198610 March 1987 Youth Affairs
References