From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Government Buildings, Dublin, is the location of the Department of Finance

The Department of Finance (Irish: An Roinn Airgeadais) is a department of the Irish government. It is led by the Minister for Finance and is assisted by one Minister of State.

The Department of Finance is responsible for the administration of the public finances of the Republic of Ireland and all powers, duties and functions connected with the same, including in particular, the collection and expenditure of the revenues of Ireland from whatever source arising.

• Minister for Finance: Brian Cowen, TD
  • Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works: Noel Ahern, TD

The Department of Finance has a central role in implementing Irish Government policy, in particular the Programme for Government, and in advising and supporting the Minister for Finance and the Government on the economic and financial management of the State and the overall management and development of the public sector. According to the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924 the Department of Finance is responsible for ".... the administration and business generally of the public finance of Ireland and all powers, duties and functions connected with the same, including in particular, the collection and expenditure of the revenues of Ireland from whatever source arising...."

A government order in 1980 allocated additional functions to the Department of Finance. These functions are principally to promote and coordinate economic and social planning, including sectoral and regional planning, to identify development policies, to review the methods adopted by departments of state to implement such policies and generally to advise the government on economic and social planning matters. Under a government order of March 1987, the functions of the former Department of the Public Service were also transferred to the Department of Finance.

There are a number of divisions within the Department of Finance. They are:

• Banking, Finance and International Division – deals with the raising and provision of money for State purpose.
• Budget and Economic Division – deals with budgetary policy, taxation policy, incomes policy, economic forecasting and analysis and demand management.
• Public Expenditure Division – to establish and review short-term and medium-term current and capital public expenditure targets.
• Personnel and Remuneration Division – advises the Government on general policy on pay and conditions and in particular on such policy in relation to the public sector.
• Organisation, Management and Training Division – has overall responsibility for the management and development of the civil service.
• Corporate Services Division – is responsible also for co-ordinating the Department's strategic management process.

• Office of Public Works
• Revenue Commissioners

• Department of Finance