Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality
	Incumbent; Norma Foley; since 23 January 2025
	Department of Children, Disability and Equality
Status	Cabinet Minister
Member of	government of Ireland; Council of the European Union; Dáil Éireann;
Reports to	Taoiseach
Seat	Dublin, Ireland
Nominator	Taoiseach
Appointer	President of Ireland; (on the advice of the Taoiseach)
Inaugural holder	Richard Mulcahy as Minister for the Gaeltacht
Formation	2 June 1956
Salary	€210,750 (2025); (including €115,953 TD salary)
Website	Official website

The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality (Irish: An tAire Leanaí, Míchumais agus Comhionannais) 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 since January 2025^[update] is Norma Foley, TD. She is assisted by a minister of state:

Hildegarde Naughton, 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 2020.^[2] An office of minister of state for children existed from 2005 to 2011.^[3]

Responsibility for the Gaeltacht was transferred to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in 2011^[4] and to the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht in 2025.

List of office-holders

Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Minister for the Gaeltacht 1956–1993
Richard Mulcahy	2 June 1956	24 October 1956		Fine Gael	7th
Patrick Lindsay	24 October 1956	20 March 1957		Fine Gael	7th
Jack Lynch	20 March 1957	26 June 1957		Fianna Fáil	8th
Mícheál Ó Móráin (1st time)	26 June 1957	23 July 1959		Fianna Fáil	8th • 9th
Gerald Bartley	23 July 1959	11 October 1961		Fianna Fáil	9th
Mícheál Ó Móráin (2nd time)	11 October 1961	26 March 1968		Fianna Fáil	10th • 11th • 12th
Pádraig Faulkner	27 March 1968	2 July 1969		Fianna Fáil	12th
George Colley	2 July 1969	14 March 1973		Fianna Fáil	13th
Tom O'Donnell	14 March 1973	5 July 1977		Fine Gael	14th
Denis Gallagher (1st time)	5 July 1977	11 December 1979		Fianna Fáil	15th
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn	12 December 1979	30 June 1981		Fianna Fáil	16th
Paddy O'Toole (1st time)	30 June 1981	9 March 1982		Fine Gael	17th
Pádraig Flynn	9 March 1982	11 October 1982		Fianna Fáil	18th
Denis Gallagher (2nd time)	11 October 1982	14 December 1982		Fianna Fáil	18th
Paddy O'Toole (2nd time)	14 December 1982	10 March 1987		Fine Gael	19th
Charles Haughey	10 March 1987	11 February 1992		Fianna Fáil	20th • 21st
John Wilson	11 February 1992	12 January 1993		Fianna Fáil	22nd
Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht 1993–1997
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Michael D. Higgins (1st time)	12 January 1993	17 November 1994		Labour	23rd
Bertie Ahern	18 November 1994	15 December 1994		Fianna Fáil	23rd
Michael D. Higgins (2nd time)	15 December 1994	26 June 1997		Labour	24th
Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands 1997–2002
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Síle de Valera	26 June 1997	6 June 2002		Fianna Fáil	25th
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs 2002–2010
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Éamon Ó Cuív	6 June 2002	23 March 2010		Fianna Fáil	26th • 27th • 28th
Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs 2010–2011
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Pat Carey	23 March 2010	9 March 2011		Fianna Fáil	28th
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs 2011–2020
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Frances Fitzgerald	9 March 2011	7 May 2014		Fine Gael	29th
Charles Flanagan	8 May 2014	11 July 2014		Fine Gael	29th
James Reilly	11 July 2014	6 May 2016		Fine Gael	29th
Katherine Zappone	6 May 2016	27 June 2020		Independent	30th • 31st
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth 2020–2025
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Roderic O'Gorman	27 June 2020	23 January 2025		Green	32nd • 33rd • 34th
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality 2025–present
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Norma Foley	23 January 2025	Incumbent		Fianna Fáil	35th

References

^ "Salaries". Houses of the Oireachtas. 3 March 2025.
^ "Children and Youth Affairs (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020". Irish Statute Book. 13 October 2020. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
^ Lenihan, Brian (4 April 2006). "Written Answers: Youth Services". Dáil Debates. 617 (4). Retrieved 11 May 2025.
^ Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 164 of 2011). Signed on 5 April 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.