Department of Education and Skills (Ireland)

The Department of Education and Skills (Irish: An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna) is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Education and Skills who is assisted by two Ministers of State.

Departmental team

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are at Marlborough Street, Dublin 1. The departmental team consists of the following:

• Minister for Education and Skills: Joe McHugh, TD
  • Minister of State for Training and Skills: John Halligan, TD
  • Minister of State for Higher Education: Mary Mitchell O'Connor, TD
• Secretary General of the Department: Seán Ó Foghlú

Departmental Overview

The mission of the Department of Education and Skills is to provide high-quality education which will enable individuals to achieve their full potential and to participate fully as members of society, and contribute to Ireland's social, cultural and economic development. Chief among the Department's priorities are:

• the promotion of equity and inclusion, quality outcomes and lifelong learning
• planning for education that is relevant to personal, social, cultural and economic needs
• enhancement of the capacity of the Department for service delivery, policy formulation, research and evaluation

History

In the early years of the state, the main focus was on running the National School primary system. Free secondary education was provided from 1968.

The Department also had the task of overseeing reformatory and industrial schools from 1922. The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, which reported in 2009 (the "Ryan Report"), found that this was rarely achieved.

Statutes

External links

• Department of Education and Skills