The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in
The Custom House, Dublin. The departmental team consists of the following:[1]
the administration and business generally of public services in connection with local government, public health, relief of the poor, care of the insane (including insane criminals), health insurance, elections to each House of the Oireachtas, elections to local bodies and authorities, registration of voters, maintenance of public roads, and highways, registration of births, deaths and marriages, and vital statistics 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 service specified in the Third Part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled, an t-Aire Rialtais Aitiúla agus Sláinte Puiblí or (in English) the Minister for Local Government and Public Health.
It also assigned it with the following agencies:[8]
The Local Government Board for Ireland, including appeals under the Old Age Pensions Acts.
The Inspectors of Lunatic Asylums in Ireland.
National Health Insurance Commission.
The Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Ireland.
Roads Department (formerly Ministry of Transport).
Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper so far as concerned with Elections.
General Nursing Council and Central Midwives Board.
Over the years the name and functions of the department have changed several times by means of
statutory instruments.
Alteration of name and transfer of functions
Date
Effect
2 June 1924
Establishment of the Department of Local Government and Public Health[9]
^Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, s. 1: Establishment of the Departments of State (
No. 16 of 1924, s. 1). Enacted on 21 April 1924. Act of the
Oireachtas. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Local Government and Public Health (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1947 (
S.R.O. No. 16 of 1947). Signed on 21 January 1947. Statutory Rules and Orders of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Health (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1947 (
S.R.O. No. 58 of 1947). Signed on 11 March 1947. Statutory Rules and Orders of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Social Welfare (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 1947 (
S.R.O. No. 329 of 1947). Signed on 15 October 1947. Statutory Rules and Orders of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1977 (
S.I. No. 269 of 1977). Signed on 16 August 1977. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Vocational Education Superannuation Schemes (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1998 (
S.I. No. 362 of 1998). Signed on 26 September 1998. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 6 December 2020.
^Heritage (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 (
S.I. No. 356 of 2002). Signed on 10 July 2002. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Environment and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2003 (
S.I. No. 233 of 2003). Signed on 10 June 2003. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Heritage (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (
S.I. No. 192 of 2011). Signed on 19 April 2011. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Community Affairs (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (
S.I. No. 196 of 2011). Signed on 19 April 2011. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 (
S.I. No. 193 of 2011). Signed on 19 April 2011. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Climate Action and Environment (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 (
S.I. No. 393 of 2016). Signed on 19 July 2016. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Environment, Community and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2016 (
S.I. No. 394 of 2016). Signed on 19 July 2016. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Community Development (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (
S.I. No. 357 of 2017). Signed on 26 July 2017. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2017 (
S.I. No. 357 of 2017). Signed on 23 July 2017. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 27 September 2019.
^Ordnance Survey Ireland (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (
S.I. No. 573 of 2017). Signed on 12 December 2017. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 17 September 2020.
^Property Registration Authority (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (
S.I. No. 574 of 2017). Signed on 12 December 2017. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 17 September 2020.
^Valuation Office and Valuation Tribunal (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (
S.I. No. 575 of 2017). Signed on 12 December 2017. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 17 September 2020.
^Motor Tax (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (
S.I. No. 601 of 2017). Signed on 19 December 2017. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 21 September 2020.
^Community Development (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2018 (
S.I. No. 165 of 2018). Signed on 15 May 2018. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 16 September 2020.
^Heritage (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 (
S.I. No. 339 of 2020). Signed on 8 September 2020. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 16 September 2020.
^Inland Waterways and Waterways Ireland (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 (
S.I. No. 340 of 2020). Signed on 8 September 2020. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 16 September 2020.
^Housing, Planning and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 (
S.I. No. 408 of 2020). Signed on 29 September 2020. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 24 February 2023.