Minister for Justice (Ireland)

Minister for Justice
Incumbent Helen McEntee since 1 June 2023
Department of Justice
Member of	Government of Ireland Council of the European Union Dáil Éireann
Reports to	Taoiseach
Seat	Dublin, Ireland
Appointer	President of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach
Inaugural holder	Michael Collins as Minister for Home Affairs
Formation	22 January 1919
Website	Department of Justice

The Minister for Justice (Irish: An tAire Dlí agus Cirt) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Justice. The Minister for Justice is responsible for law and order in Ireland.^[1]

List of office-holders

  Means acting Minister

Minister for Home Affairs 1919–1924
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)[a]
Michael Collins	22 January 1919	1 April 1919		Sinn Féin	1st DM
Arthur Griffith	2 April 1919	22 August 1921		Sinn Féin	2nd DM
Austin Stack[b]	22 August 1921	9 January 1922		Sinn Féin	3rd DM
Eamonn Duggan	10 January 1922	9 September 1922		Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty)	4th DM • 1st PG
Kevin O'Higgins	30 August 1922	2 June 1924		Cumann na nGaedheal	2nd PG • 5th DM • 1st EC • 2nd EC
Minister for Justice 1924–1997
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Kevin O'Higgins	2 June 1924	10 July 1927		Cumann na nGaedheal	2nd EC • 3rd EC
W. T. Cosgrave[c]	10 July 1927	12 October 1927		Cumann na nGaedheal	3rd EC
James FitzGerald-Kenney	12 October 1927	9 March 1932		Cumann na nGaedheal	4th EC • 5th EC
James Geoghegan	9 March 1932	8 February 1933		Fianna Fáil	6th EC
P. J. Ruttledge	8 February 1933	8 September 1939		Fianna Fáil	7th EC • 8th EC • 1st • 2nd
Gerald Boland (1st time)	8 September 1939	18 February 1948		Fianna Fáil	2nd • 3rd • 4th
Seán Mac Eoin	18 February 1948	7 March 1951		Fine Gael	5th
Daniel Morrissey	7 March 1951	13 June 1951		Fine Gael	5th
Gerald Boland (2nd time)	13 June 1951	2 June 1954		Fianna Fáil	6th
James Everett	2 June 1954	20 March 1957		Labour	7th
Oscar Traynor	20 March 1957	11 October 1961		Fianna Fáil	8th • 9th
Charles Haughey	11 October 1961	8 October 1964		Fianna Fáil	10th
Seán Lemass (acting)	8 October 1964	3 November 1964		Fianna Fáil	10th
Brian Lenihan Snr	3 November 1964	26 March 1968		Fianna Fáil	10th • 11th • 12th
Mícheál Ó Móráin	27 March 1968	5 May 1970		Fianna Fáil	12th • 13th
Desmond O'Malley	5 May 1970	14 March 1973		Fianna Fáil	13th
Patrick Cooney	14 March 1973	5 July 1977		Fine Gael	14th
Gerry Collins (1st time)	5 July 1977	30 June 1981		Fianna Fáil	15th • 16th
Jim Mitchell	30 June 1981	9 March 1982		Fine Gael	17th
Seán Doherty	9 March 1982	14 December 1982		Fianna Fáil	18th
Michael Noonan	14 December 1982	14 February 1986		Fine Gael	19th
Alan Dukes	14 February 1986	10 March 1987		Fine Gael	19th
Gerry Collins (2nd time)	10 March 1987	12 July 1989		Fianna Fáil	20th
Ray Burke[d]	12 July 1989	11 February 1992		Fianna Fáil	21st
Pádraig Flynn	11 February 1992	4 January 1993		Fianna Fáil	22nd
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn	4 January 1993	15 December 1994		Fianna Fáil	23rd
Nora Owen	15 December 1994	26 June 1997		Fine Gael	24th
John O'Donoghue	26 June 1997	8 July 1997		Fianna Fáil	25th
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform 1997–2010
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
John O'Donoghue	8 July 1997	6 June 2002		Fianna Fáil	25th
Michael McDowell	6 June 2002	14 June 2007		Progressive Democrats	26th
Brian Lenihan Jnr	14 June 2007	7 May 2008		Fianna Fáil	27th
Dermot Ahern	7 May 2008	23 March 2010		Fianna Fáil	28th
Minister for Justice and Law Reform 2010–2011
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Dermot Ahern	23 March 2010	19 January 2011		Fianna Fáil	28th
Brendan Smith[e]	20 January 2011	9 March 2011		Fianna Fáil	28th
Alan Shatter[f]	9 March 2011	2 April 2011		Fine Gael	29th
Minister for Justice and Equality 2011–2020
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Alan Shatter[f]	2 April 2011	7 May 2014		Fine Gael	29th
Frances Fitzgerald	8 May 2014	14 June 2017		Fine Gael	29th • 30th
Charles Flanagan	14 June 2017	27 June 2020		Fine Gael	31st
Helen McEntee	27 June 2020	1 November 2020		Fine Gael	32nd
Minister for Justice 2020–present
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Helen McEntee	1 November 2020	27 April 2021		Fine Gael	32nd
Heather Humphreys[g]	27 April 2021	1 November 2021		Fine Gael
Helen McEntee[h]	1 November 2021	25 November 2022		Fine Gael
Heather Humphreys[g]	25 November 2022	17 December 2022		Fine Gael
Simon Harris[i]	17 December 2022	1 June 2023		Fine Gael	33rd
Helen McEntee	1 June 2023	Incumbent		Fine Gael

Notes

1. Before 1937: DM – Dáil Ministry; PG – Provisional Government; EC – Executive Council.
2. Austin Stack held the title of Secretary of State for Home Affairs.
3. Also President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State.
4. Also Minister for Communications from 31 March 1987 to 6 February 1991.
5. Also Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
6. Also Minister for Defence.
7. Also Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development.
8. On maternity leave from 27 April 2021 to 1 November 2021, and again from 25 November 2022 to 1 June 2023.
9. Also Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

References

1. "Minister for Justice - gov.ie". Government of Ireland. 19 November 2020. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.