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Department overview | |
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Formed | 2 April 1919 |
Jurisdiction | Ireland |
Headquarters | Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 53°20′22″N 6°15′21″W / 53.33944°N 6.25583°W |
Annual budget | €1.312 billion (2012) |
Minister responsible | |
Department executive |
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Website | Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine |
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Irish: An Roinn Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara) is a department of the Government of Ireland. The mission of the department is to lead the sustainable development of a competitive, consumer focused agri-food sector and to contribute to a vibrant rural economy and society. It is led by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine who is assisted by two Ministers of State.
Departmental team
The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. The departmental team consists of the following:[1]
- Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Charlie McConalogue
- Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity: Senator Pippa Hackett[2]
- Minister of State for Research & Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development: Martin Heydon, TD
- Secretary General of the Department: Brendan Gleeson[3]
Overview
In carrying out its mandate the Department undertakes a variety of functions including:
- Policy advice and development on all areas of departmental responsibility
- Representation in international especially European Union and national negotiations;
- Development and implementation of national and EU schemes in support of agriculture, food, fisheries, forestry and rural development.
- Monitoring and controlling aspects of food safety.
- Control and audit of public expenditure under its control.
- Regulation of the agriculture, fisheries, food industries and forestry through national and EU law.
- Monitoring and controlling animal and plant health and animal welfare.
- Monitoring and direction of state bodies engaged in the following areas:
- Research training and advice.
- Market development and promotion.
- Industry regulation and development.
- Commercial activities.
- Direct provision of support services to agriculture, food, fisheries and forestry.
Since Britain is Ireland's main trading partner, Brexit will have a huge impact on Ireland's agri-food sector. Britain was the market for 270,000 tonnes of Irish beef export. The tariff rates will "virtually wipe out" agri-food trade to Britain, according to the Irish Farmers' Association president Joe Healy.[4]
History
The Department of Agriculture was created as a department of the Ministry of Dáil Éireann at one of the first meetings of Dáil Éireann in 1919 with Robert Barton as the first Minister for Agriculture, Horace Plunkett as the department's first Vice-President, and T. P. Gill as its first Secretary. In 1899, Plunkett had established the Department's forerunner, called the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction (DATI). It was given a statutory basis by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924. This act provided it with:[5]
the administration and business generally of public services in connection with agriculture and lands, including the fixing of rents and tenure of lands, acquisition by occupying tenants of full ownership by means of public funds, enlargement and other economic improvement of holdings of land, purchase of land for distribution by way of re-sale, relief of rural congestion and like uneconomic conditions, promotion of agriculture by means of educational grants, and of lectures on special subjects, agricultural statistics, forestry, veterinary services, survey and mapping of land, and all powers, duties and functions connected with the same, and shall include in particular the business, powers, duties and functions of the branches and officers of the public services specified in the Fifth Part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled, an t-Aire Tailte agus Talmhaíochta or (in English) the Minister for Lands and Agriculture.
Alteration of name and transfer of functions
Over the years its name and functions have changed several times.
Date | Change |
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2 June 1924 | Establishment of the Department of Lands and Agriculture[6] |
22 July 1927 | Transfer of Irish Land Commission to the Department of Fisheries[7] |
1 September 1928 | Renamed as the Department of Agriculture[8] |
1 December 1933 | Transfer of Forestry to the Department of Lands and Fisheries[9] |
1 April 1934 | Transfer of Fisheries from the Department of Lands and Fisheries[10] |
9 April 1957 | Transfer of Fisheries to the Department of Lands[11] |
3 May 1965 | Transfer of Fisheries from the Department of Lands[12] |
6 July 1965 | Renamed as the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries[13] |
8 February 1977 | Transfer of Lands from the Department of Lands[14] |
8 February 1977 | Transfer of Fisheries to the Department of Lands[15] |
9 February 1977 | Renamed as the Department of Agriculture[16] |
31 March 1987 | Renamed as the Department of Agriculture and Food[17] |
5 May 1987 | Transfer of Food Standards from the Department of Industry and Commerce[18] |
10 January 1993 | Transfer of Forestry from the Department of Energy[19] |
21 January 1993 | Renamed as the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.[20] |
11 July 1997 | Transfer of Forestry to the Department of the Marine[21] |
12 July 1997 | Renamed as the Department of Agriculture and Food[22] |
27 September 1999 | Renamed as the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development[23] |
18 June 2002 | Transfer of Rural Development to the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands[24] |
18 June 2002 | Transfer of Horse and Greyhound Racing to the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation[25] |
19 June 2002 | Renamed as the Department of Agriculture and Food[26] |
19 October 2007 | Transfer of Fisheries from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources[27] |
20 October 2007 | Renamed as the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food[28] |
1 May 2010 | Transfer of Horse and Greyhound Racing from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism[29] |
1 May 2011 | Transfer of Marine Tourism from the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs[30] |
17 October 2011 | Renamed as the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine[31] |
References
- ^ "Government Ministers", Government of Ireland, retrieved 15 February 2021
- ^ Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 40 of 2021). 2 February 2021. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 15 February 2021, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ "DAFM - Secretary General Brendan Gleeson". agriculture.gov.ie. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- ^ Edwards, Elaine (18 May 2017). "Brexit could have 'frightening' impact on Irish agri-food sector". The Irish Times.
- ^ Ministers and Secretaries Act, s. 1: Establishment of the Departments of State (No. 16 of 1924, s. 1). 21 April 1924. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 14 September 2021, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 (Commencement) Order (S.R.O. No. 804 of 1924). 30 May 1924. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ The Irish Land Commission (Re-Distribution of Public Services) Order (S.R.O. No. 55 of 1927). 20 July 1927. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 17 January 2021, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1928 (Commencement) Order (S.R.O. No. 49 of 1928). 7 August 1928. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Forestry (Re-Distribution of Public Services) Order (S.R.O. No. 158 of 1933). 1 December 1933. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 17 January 2021, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Fisheries (Re-Distribution of Public Services) Order (S.R.O. No. 40 of 1934). 27 March 1934. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 August 2020, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Fisheries (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1957 (S.I. No. 67 of 1957). 2 April 1957. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 August 2020, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Fisheries (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1965 (S.I. No. 83 of 1965). 3 May 1965. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Agriculture (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order (S.I. No. 146 of 1965). 6 July 1965. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Lands (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 28 of 1977). 8 February 1977. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 17 January 2021, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Fisheries (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 30 of 1977). 8 February 1977. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Fisheries (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 31 of 1977). 8 February 1977. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Agriculture (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order (S.I. No. 97 of 1987). 31 March 1987. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Food Standards (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 129 of 1987). 5 May 1987. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Energy (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 10 of 1993). 10 January 1993. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Agriculture and Food (Alteration of name of Department and Title of Minister) Order (S.I. No. 11 of 1993). 20 January 1993. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Forestry (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 300 of 1997). 8 July 1997. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order (S.I. No. 302 of 1997). 8 July 1997. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Agriculture and Food (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order (S.I. No. 307 of 1999). 21 September 1999. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Rural Development (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 296 of 2002). 18 June 2002. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Horse and Greyhound Racing (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 297 of 2002). 18 June 2002. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 13 September 2021, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order (S.I. No. 306 of 2002). 18 June 2002. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Sea Fisheries, Foreshore and Dumping at Sea (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 707 of 2007). 9 October 2007. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Agriculture and Food (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order (S.I. No. 705 of 2007). 9 October 2007. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Horse and Greyhound Racing (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 179 of 2010). 22 April 2010. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 13 September 2021, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Marine Tourism (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. No. 163 of 2011). 5 April 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order (S.I. No. 455 of 2011). 8 September 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 14 September 2019, Irish Statute Book.