{"id":4887,"date":"2018-12-30T13:09:21","date_gmt":"2018-12-30T13:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/legalblog.ie\/ministers-and-departments\/"},"modified":"2022-08-28T14:18:24","modified_gmt":"2022-08-28T14:18:24","slug":"ministers-and-departments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/ministers-and-departments\/","title":{"rendered":"Ministers and Departments"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/ministers-and-departments\/#Ministers_and_Government_Departments\" title=\"Ministers and Government Departments\">Ministers and Government Departments<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/ministers-and-departments\/#Appointment\" title=\"Appointment\">Appointment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/ministers-and-departments\/#Functions_and_Responsibilities\" title=\"Functions and Responsibilities\">Functions and Responsibilities<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/ministers-and-departments\/#Minister_for_State\" title=\"Minister for State\">Minister for State<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/ministers-and-departments\/#Ministers_Private_Office_and_Special_Advisers\" title=\"Minister\\&#8217;s Private Office and Special Advisers\">Minister\\&#8217;s Private Office and Special Advisers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ministers_and_Government_Departments\"><\/span>Ministers and Government Departments<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Each government department is a separate legal body. The Minister is both legally and politically responsible for their departments.Technically the \\&#8221;Minister\\&#8221; is the legal body.\u00a0The Minister in effect is the legal incorporation of the department.<\/p>\n<p>The particular person who holds that office from time to time is separate from the office itself, which is permanent and does not cease to exist.\u00a0Legal action may be taken by or against the relevant ministry in the name of the minister.<\/p>\n<p>The Secretary-General of each DepartmentMinister is responsible for the performance and roles of their departments. The Secretary-General is obliged to prepare a strategy setting out objectives and related strategies for the Minister who lays it before the Oireachtas.\u00a0 Outputs and performance are to be appraised by the Oireachtas committee.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Appointment\"><\/span>Appointment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Ministers are appointed by the Taoiseach.\u00a0 They may be dismissed by the Taoiseach at any time for any reason whatsoever.\u00a0 A minister must be a TD or a Senator.\u00a0 Up to two Senators may be appointed to be Ministers.\u00a0 This has happened very rarely.<\/p>\n<p>The Minister appoints a private secretary who is a member of the civil service.\u00a0 Private secretaries may or may not be appointed by new Ministers.<\/p>\n<p>Generally, the day-to-day running of departments is undertaken by the Secretary-General and lower-ranking officers.\u00a0 Ministers have some role in promotion but do not generally intervene in personnel selection.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Functions_and_Responsibilities\"><\/span>Functions and Responsibilities<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The responsibilities of departments are fixed by law.\u00a0 Responsibilities may be changed from time to time.\u00a0 Government departments are frequently re-organised on change of government.<\/p>\n<p>The principal function of a minister is to advance the particular interests of the department and the interests to which it relates.\u00a0 The Minister works with senior servants who are permanent and do not do not change on change of government. The Minister represents his department at Cabinet level.<\/p>\n<p>Ministerial proposals and actions are presented by departments to the Minister on a detailed file.\u00a0 The file generally contains a brief summary as to recommendation as to what action is desirable generally by the Secretary-General. \u00a0Ministers may read the entire file or simply the relevant parts of summaries.<\/p>\n<p>Files may be submitted in a wide variety of matters range from policies to other matters upon which the minister\\&#8217;s decision or views are sought.\u00a0 Files are channelled through the Minister\\&#8217;s private secretary.<\/p>\n<p>Ministers are responsible to the Dail for the business of their department.\u00a0 They attend to announce business relative to their department. \u00a0Ministers attend government and seek authority to proceed with particular programmes, legislation or initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>The Minister\\&#8217;s private office deal with the bulk of constituency matters. \u00a0Ministers typically also attend constituency clinics on at weekends. \u00a0The Minister\u2019s office deal with correspondence.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Minister_for_State\"><\/span>Minister for State<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Ministers of State are not members of the government.\u00a0 The government delegates responsibility for specific areas or tasks to them.\u00a0 When Ministers of State are appointed particular bodies of legislations or rules may be delegated to them.<\/p>\n<p>The relevant Cabinet Minister requests the government to delegate the function.\u00a0 The delegation is under the general supervision and control of the senior Minister.<\/p>\n<p>Junior Ministers may initiate legislation but do not submit proposals to government. \u00a0If they are approved by the Minister and government the Minister of State may promote them after that point.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ministers_Private_Office_and_Special_Advisers\"><\/span>Minister\\&#8217;s Private Office and Special Advisers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Minister\\&#8217;s private office is headed by a private secretary.\u00a0 This person may deal between departmental and constituency tasks.<\/p>\n<p>The private office is the Minister\u2019s secretariat.\u00a0 It co-ordinates the Minister\u2019s activities and acts as a liaison between the Minister and department.\u00a0 The private office will deal with the Minister\u2019s constituency.<\/p>\n<p>In recent decades,\u00a0Ministers have appointed special advisers who monitor the programme for government and assist with its implementation.\u00a0Special advisers are not part of the management system of the department. They advise Ministers and keep them informed on a wide range of political, administrative, legal and financial issues.\u00a0 They have access to all departmental files and submissions to the Ministers.<\/p>\n<p>The special advisers generally meet before Cabinet meeting with the Taoiseach\u2019s programme manager as chairperson.\u00a0 They cease to hold office when their Ministers cease to do so.<\/p>\n<p>The advisers are not generally civil servants.\u00a0 Some may be former civil servants, journalists, broadcasters or constituency activists. \u00a0The selection is made by the Minister with the approval of the Taoiseach.\u00a0 Special advisers discuss political and electoral implications of civil service advice.<\/p>\n<p>Special Advisers examine matters by consulting outside sources, dealing with constituency matters in a broader framework than normal constituency correspondence, researching matters to be raised by government Ministers and briefing them, reviewing speeches and addresses, having regard to ministerial style, writing political speeches.<\/p>\n<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-4887\" data-postid=\"4887\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-4887 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    <\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ministers and Government Departments Each government department is a separate legal body. The Minister is both legally and politically responsible for their departments.Technically the \\&#8221;Minister\\&#8221; is the legal body.\u00a0The Minister in effect is the legal incorporation of the department. The particular person who holds that office from time to time is separate from the office [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[200],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4887"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4887"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13213,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4887\/revisions\/13213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}