Minister for Finance (Ireland)

Irish government cabinet minister

Minister for Finance

Incumbent
Jack Chambers

since 26 June 2024

Department of Finance
Member of|

* Government of Ireland
* Eurogroup
* Council of the European Union
* Dáil Éireann

Reports to| Taoiseach
Seat| Government Buildings,
Merrion Street, Dublin, Ireland
Appointer| President of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach
Inaugural holder| Eoin MacNeill
Formation| 22 January 1919
Website| Official website

The Minister for Finance (Irish: An tAire Airgeadais) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland. The Minister for Finance leads the Department of Finance and is responsible for all financial and monetary matters of the state; and is considered the second most important member of the Government of Ireland, after the Taoiseach.

The current office holder is Jack Chambers, TD.[1] He is assisted by one Minister of State Neale Richmond, TD.

## Overview

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

The Minister for Finance holds the second most important ministerial position in the Irish Cabinet after that of the Taoiseach. The minister is in charge of the Department of Finance responsible for all financial matters in Ireland. It is one of three positions in the government which the Constitution requires to be held by a member of Dáil Éireann, the other two being Taoiseach and Tánaiste. Ministers for finance who later became Taoiseach include Jack Lynch, Charles Haughey, Albert Reynolds, John Bruton, Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen.

The department and minister are occasionally called the Irish Exchequer (or simply the Exchequer), a term previously used under the Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland (disestablished in 1817).

### Budget

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One of the most important aspects of the Minister's work is the creation of the annual budget which is delivered to the Dáil in a speech, which must be given before 15 October due to the Two-Pack agreement. In the budget, the minister details the government's spending programme for the coming year. The budget consists of:

* a financial statement to the Dáil,
* Budgetary measures (a list of budgetary changes detailing the cost/yield of same),
* Budget statistics, and
* financial resolutions.

## Minister for Finance since 1919

[edit]

Denotes acting Minister for Finance

Name  | Term of office  | Party  | Government(s)[a]

|
|
|

Eoin MacNeill | 22 January 1919  | 1 April 1919  |  | Sinn Féin | 1st DM
Michael Collins | 2 April 1919  | 22 August 1922  |  | Sinn Féin | 2nd DM • 3rd DM • 4th DM • 1st PG
W. T. Cosgrave (acting) | 17 July 1922  | 21 September 1923  |  | Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin | 1st PG • 2nd PG • 5th DM • 1st EC
Ernest Blythe | 21 September 1923  | 9 March 1932  |  | Cumann na nGaedheal | 2nd EC • 3rd EC • 4th EC • 5th EC
Seán MacEntee | 9 March 1932  | 16 September 1939  |  | Fianna Fáil | 6th EC • 7th EC • 8th EC • 1st • 2nd
Seán T. O'Kelly | 16 September 1939  | 14 June 1945  |  | Fianna Fáil | 2nd • 3rd • 4th
Frank Aiken | 19 June 1945  | 18 February 1948  |  | Fianna Fáil | 4th
Patrick McGilligan | 18 February 1948  | 13 June 1951  |  | Fine Gael | 5th
Seán MacEntee | 13 June 1951  | 2 June 1954  |  | Fianna Fáil | 6th
Gerard Sweetman | 2 June 1954  | 20 March 1957  |  | Fine Gael | 7th
James Ryan | 20 March 1957  | 21 April 1965  |  | Fianna Fáil | 8th • 9th • 10th
Jack Lynch | 21 April 1965  | 10 November 1966  |  | Fianna Fáil | 11th
Charles Haughey | 10 November 1966  | 7 May 1970  |  | Fianna Fáil | 12th • 13th
George Colley | 9 May 1970  | 14 March 1973  |  | Fianna Fáil | 13th
Richie Ryan[b] | 14 March 1973  | 5 July 1977  |  | Fine Gael | 14th
George Colley[c] | 5 July 1977  | 11 December 1979  |  | Fianna Fáil | 15th
Michael O'Kennedy[c] | 12 December 1979  | 16 December 1980  |  | Fianna Fáil | 16th
Gene Fitzgerald[c] | 16 December 1980  | 30 June 1981  |  | Fianna Fáil | 16th
John Bruton | 30 June 1981  | 9 March 1982  |  | Fine Gael | 17th
Ray MacSharry | 9 March 1982  | 14 December 1982  |  | Fianna Fáil | 18th
Alan Dukes | 14 December 1982  | 14 February 1986  |  | Fine Gael | 19th
John Bruton[d] | 14 February 1986  | 10 March 1987  |  | Fine Gael | 19th
Ray MacSharry[e] | 10 March 1987  | 24 November 1988  |  | Fianna Fáil | 20th
Albert Reynolds | 24 November 1988  | 7 November 1991  |  | Fianna Fáil | 20th • 21st
Charles Haughey (acting) | 7 November 1991  | 14 November 1991  |  | Fianna Fáil | 21st
Bertie Ahern | 14 November 1991  | 15 December 1994  |  | Fianna Fáil | 21st • 22nd • 23rd
Ruairi Quinn | 15 December 1994  | 26 June 1997  |  | Labour | 24th
Charlie McCreevy | 26 June 1997  | 29 September 2004  |  | Fianna Fáil | 25th • 26th
Brian Cowen | 29 September 2004  | 7 May 2008  |  | Fianna Fáil | 26th • 27th
Brian Lenihan | 7 May 2008  | 9 March 2011  |  | Fianna Fáil | 28th
Michael Noonan | 9 March 2011  | 14 June 2017  |  | Fine Gael | 29th • 30th
Paschal Donohoe[f] | 14 June 2017  | 17 December 2022  |  | Fine Gael | 31st • 32nd
Michael McGrath[g] | 17 December 2022  | 26 June 2024  |  | Fianna Fáil | 33rd • 34th
Jack Chambers | 26 June 2024  | Incumbent |  | Fianna Fáil | 34th

1. ^ Before 1937: DM – Dáil Ministry; PG – Provisional Government; EC – Executive Council.
2. ^ Also Minister for the Public Service from 1 November 1973, on the creation of the new department.
3. ^ a b c Also Minister for the Public Service.
4. ^ Also Minister for the Public Service from 20 January to 20 March 1987, after the resignation of the Labour Party ministers from government.
5. ^ Also Minister for the Public Service until 20 March 1987, when the functions of the department were transferred to the Department of Finance.
6. ^ Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform from 6 May 2016 to 27 June 2020.
7. ^ Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform from 27 June 2020 to 17 December 2022.

## See also

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* National Lottery
* Revenue Commissioners

## References

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1. ^ "Government Ministers", Government of Ireland, 2 July 2024, archived from the original on 7 August 2020, retrieved 3 November 2019

## External links

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* Official website

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