The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment () is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.

Departmental team Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Peter Burke, TD Minister of State for trade promotion, artificial intelligence and digital transformation: Niamh Smyth, TD Minister of State for small businesses and retail: Alan Dillon, TD Secretary General of the Department: Declan Hughes

Overview

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are at Kildare Street, Dublin. It is one of the most important economic departments in the Irish Government, responsible for the implementation of policy in five key areas: Enterprise, Innovation, Growth Quality Work and Learning Making Markets and Regulation work better Quality, Value and Continuous Improvement the European Union.

A large element of the work of the department arises from Ireland's membership of a number of international organisations, in particular the European Union and the World Trade Organization. The department plays an active role in the development of EU and WTO policies, particularly to ensure that Ireland's interests are protected. The department is organised into five divisions. They are: Innovation and Investment Division Enterprise and Trade Division Commerce, Consumer and Competition Division Employment Rights and Industrial Relations Division Corporate Services

Bodies and offices associated with the Department The department oversees a large number of bodies and agencies. In July 2009 the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes proposed merging the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency. However, this process remains at an early stage. Until 2010, the department was responsible for FÁS, which had its responsibilities divided up between two bodies in 2013. Bodies and agencies associated with the Department include:

Companies Registration Office Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Local Enterprise Offices Director of Corporate Enforcement Employment Appeals Tribunal Enterprise Ireland Health and Safety Authority IDA Ireland InterTradeIreland (under North-South co-operation structures) Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority Labour Court Workplace Relations Commission National Standards Authority of Ireland Office of the Register of Friendly Societies Patents Office Personal Injuries Assessment Board

History In the Ministry of Dáil Éireann of the Irish Republic (1919–1922) there was a separate Minister for Industries and a Director of Trade and Commerce. These titled varied over the course of the ministries established during this revolutionary period. In the Irish Free State, there was a Minister for Industry and Commerce as part of the first Executive Council of the Irish Free State established in 1922. This was given a statutory basis by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924. This act provided it with:

The Schedule assigned it with the duties of the following bodies:

Ministry of Transport (excluding the Roads Department). The Board of Trade. Registrar of Companies. Registrar of Business Names. Registration of Shipping. Minister for Labour. Electricity Commissioners. Chief and other Inspectors of Factories.

Alteration of name and transfer of functions DateEffect2 June 1924Established as the Department of Industry and Commerce1 August 1945Transfer of Supplies from the Department of Supplies27 July 1959Transfer of Transport, Fuel and Power to the Department of Transport and Power12 July 1966Transfer of Labour to the Department of Labour13 September 1977Transfer of Energy from the Department of Transport and Power23 September 1977Renamed as the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy22 January 1980Transfer of Energy to the Department of Energy23 January 1980Renamed as the Department of Industry, Commerce and Tourism24 January 1980Transfer of Tourism from the Department of Tourism and Transport20 August 1981Transfer of Industry to the Department of Energy21 August 1981Renamed as the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism16 December 1983Transfer of Industry from the Department of Industry and Energy17 December 1983Renamed as the Department of Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism18 February 1986Transfer of Tourism to the Department of Fisheries and Forestry19 February 1986Renamed as the Department of Industry and Commerce20 January 1993Transfer of Labour from the Department of Labour20 January 1993Transfer of Trade to the Department of Energy20 January 1993Renamed as the Department of Enterprise and Employment11 July 1997Transfer of Trade from the Department of Tourism and Trade12 July 1997Renamed as the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment1 May 2010Transfer of Skills to the Department of Education and Science1 May 2010Transfer of Research from the Department of Education and Science2 May 2010Renamed as the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation1 January 2011Transfer of Redundancy and Insolvency Payments to the Department of Social Protection1 June 2011Transfer of Trade to the Department of Foreign Affairs2 June 2011Renamed as the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation1 January 2013Transfer of Equality Tribunal from the Department of Justice and Equality1 September 2017Transfer of Employment Affairs and Employment Law to the Department of Social Protection2 September 2017Renamed as the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation23 September 2020Transfer of Trade from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade14 October 2020Transfer of Employment Affairs and Employment Law from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection10 November 2020Renamed as the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment1 January 2021Transfer of Research Policy and Programmes to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science1 June 2025Transfer of Tourism from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media2 June 2025Renamed as the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment

References

External links

Structure of the Department Spending by the Department