Unlike senior government ministers, which are appointed by thepresident of Ireland on theadvice of theTaoiseach and the prior approval ofDáil Éireann, ministers of state are appointed directly by the government, on the nomination of the Taoiseach. Members of either house of theOireachtas (Dáil orSeanad) may be appointed to be a minister of state; to date, the only senator appointed as a minister of state has beenPippa Hackett, who served from June 2020 to January 2025. Ministers of state continue in office after the dissolution of the Dáil until the appointment of a new Taoiseach. If the Taoiseach resigns from office, a minister of state is also deemed to have resigned from office.[2]
TheMinisters and Secretaries Act 1924 allowed theExecutive Council (from 1937, the government of Ireland) to appoint up to sevenparliamentary secretaries to the Executive Council or to Executive Ministers, who held office during the duration of the government and while they were a member of the Oireachtas.[5] This position was abolished by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977, which created the new position of minister of state.[6] This Act was commenced on 1 January 1978.[7]
In the 1977 Act, the number of ministers of state was limited to 10. This limit was raised to 15 in 1980, to 17 in 1995, to 20 in 2007, and to 23 in 2025.[8][9][10][11] On 21 April 2009,Brian Cowen asked all 20 ministers of state to resign, and he re-appointed a reduced number of 15 ministers the following day, when theDáil resumed after the Easter recess.[12][13] In July 2020, thenew government appointed 20 ministers of state.
Since theRainbow Coalition formed in 1994, several governments have appointed additional ministers of state who regularly attend meetings of the government but without a vote. Ministers of state attending cabinet, other than theGovernment Chief Whip, are often described assuper junior ministers orsuper juniors.[14] Up to four ministers of state attending cabinet may receive an allowance.[15][16][17] Ministers of state attending cabinet in the35th government of Ireland:
^Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977, s. 1: Appointment of Ministers of State (No. 28 of 1977, s. 1). Enacted on 6 December 1977. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book on 20 April 2020.
^Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977, s. 2: Delegation of powers and duties of Ministers of the Government to Ministers of State (No. 28 of 1977, s. 2). Enacted on 6 December 1977. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book on 20 April 2020.
^Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, s. 7: Power to Executive Council to appoint Parliamentary Secretaries (No. 16 of 1924, s. 7). Enacted on 21 April 1924. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book on 20 April 2020.
^Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1980, s. 2: Not more than 15 Ministers of State may be appointed (No. 2 of 1980, s. 2). Enacted on 18 March 1980. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book on 28 April 2020.
^Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1995, s. 1: Amendment of section 1 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977 (No. 1 of 1995, s. 1). Enacted on 27 January 1995. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book on 28 April 2020.
^Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2007, s. 1: Increase in number of Ministers of State appointed by Government (No. 33 of 2007, s. 1). Enacted on 7 July 2007. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book on 28 April 2020.
^Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act 2025, s. 1: Amendment of section 1 of Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977 (No. 1 of 2025, s. 1). Enacted on 21 February 2025. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book.
^Ministerial, Parliamentary and Judicial Offices and Oireachtas Members (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2001, s. 40: Amendment of the 1998 Act — insertion of section 3A (allowances payable to certain Ministers of State) (No. 33 of 2001, s. 40). Enacted on 16 July 2001. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book on 21 August 2020.
^Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act 2020, s. 2: Amendment of section 3A of Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act 1998 (No. 10 of 2020, s. 2). Enacted on 2 August 2020. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book on 21 August 2020.
^Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act 2025, s. 2: Amendment of section 3A of Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act 1998 (No. 1 of 2025, s. 2). Enacted on 21 February 2025. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book.
