The minister for children, disability and equality () is a senior minister in the government of Ireland and leads the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.
The minister for children, disability and equality is Norma Foley, TD. She is assisted by a minister of state: Emer Higgins, TD – Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality with responsibility for disability.
Overview The office was created in 1956 as the minister for the Gaeltacht. Its title and functions have changed several times, with the current title adopted in 2025. An office of minister of state for children existed from 2005 to 2011.
Responsibility for the Gaeltacht was transferred to the minister for arts, heritage and the Gaeltacht in 2011 and to the minister for rural and community development and the Gaeltacht in 2025.
Responsibility for Integration was transferred to the minister for justice, home affairs and migration in 2025.
List of office-holders Minister for the Gaeltacht 1956–1993NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)Richard Mulcahy2 June 195624 October 1956 7thPatrick Lindsay24 October 195620 March 1957 7thJack Lynch20 March 195726 June 1957 8thMícheál Ó Móráin(1st time)26 June 195723 July 1959 8th9thGerald Bartley23 July 195911 October 1961 9thMícheál Ó Móráin(2nd time)11 October 196126 March 1968 10th11th12thPádraig Faulkner27 March 19682 July 1969 12thGeorge Colley2 July 196914 March 1973 13thTom O'Donnell14 March 19735 July 1977 14thDenis Gallagher(1st time)5 July 197711 December 1979 15thMáire Geoghegan-Quinn12 December 197930 June 1981 16thPaddy O'Toole(1st time)30 June 19819 March 1982 17thPádraig Flynn9 March 198211 October 1982 18thDenis Gallagher(2nd time)11 October 198214 December 1982 18thPaddy O'Toole(2nd time)14 December 198210 March 1987 19thCharles Haughey10 March 198711 February 1992 20th21stJohn Wilson11 February 199212 January 1993 22ndMinister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht 1993–1997NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)Michael D. Higgins(1st time)12 January 199317 November 1994 23rdBertie Ahern18 November 199415 December 1994 23rdMichael D. Higgins(2nd time)15 December 199426 June 1997 24thMinister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands 1997–2002NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)Síle de Valera26 June 19976 June 2002 25thMinister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs 2002–2010NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)Éamon Ó Cuív6 June 200223 March 2010 26th27th28thMinister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs 2010–2011NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)Pat Carey23 March 20109 March 2011 28thMinister for Children and Youth Affairs 2011–2020NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)Frances Fitzgerald9 March 20117 May 2014 29thCharles Flanagan8 May 201411 July 2014 29thJames Reilly11 July 20146 May 2016 29thKatherine Zappone6 May 201627 June 2020 30th31stMinister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth 2020–2025NameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)Roderic O'Gorman27 June 202023 January 2025 32nd33rd34thMinister for Children, Disability and Equality 2025–presentNameTerm of officePartyGovernment(s)Norma Foley23 January 2025Incumbent 35th
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