Minister for Finance (Ireland)

Minister for Finance
Incumbent Michael Noonan since 9 March 2011
Appointer	President of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach
Inaugural holder	Eoin MacNeill
Formation	22 January 1919
Website	www.finance.gov.ie

The Minister for Finance (Irish: An tAire Airgeadais) is the title held by the Irish government minister responsible for all financial and monetary matters. The office-holder controls the Department of Finance and is considered one of the most important members of the Government of Ireland.

The current Minister for Finance is Michael Noonan, TD. He is assisted by:

• Brian Hayes, TD – Minister of State for Public Service Reform and the Office of Public Works

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

Overview

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. He or she is in charge of the Department of Finance responsible for all financial matters in the Republic of Ireland. Due to the importance of the cabinet post, the Minister for Finance must be a member of Dáil Éireann. Many Ministers who have held the Finance portfolio have gone on to become Taoiseach, including Jack Lynch, Charles Haughey, Albert Reynolds, John Bruton, Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen.

Budget

One of the most important aspects of the Minister's work is the creation of the annual Budget which is announced to the Dáil in a speech, usually delivered on the first Wednesday of December (although this date may be changed; for instance, the 2009 Budget was delivered to the Dáil on Tuesday, 14 October 2008, due to the rapidly deteriorating state of Ireland's public finances at the time). 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 Tables, and
• various financial resolutions.

Minister for Finance 1919–present

  Denotes acting Minister

No.	Name	Entered Office	Left Office	Party
1.	Eoin MacNeill	22 January 1919	1 April 1919		Sinn Féin
2.	Michael Collins	2 April 1919	22 August 1922		Sinn Féin
3.	W. T. Cosgrave (acting)	17 July 1922	21 September 1923		Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin
4.	Ernest Blythe	21 September 1923	9 March 1932		Cumann na nGaedheal
5.	Seán MacEntee (1st time)	9 March 1932	16 September 1939		Fianna Fáil
6.	Seán T. O'Kelly	16 September 1939	14 June 1945		Fianna Fáil
7.	Frank Aiken	19 June 1945	18 February 1948		Fianna Fáil
8.	Patrick McGilligan	18 February 1948	13 June 1951		Fine Gael
	Seán MacEntee (2nd time)	13 June 1951	2 June 1954		Fianna Fáil
9.	Gerard Sweetman	2 June 1954	20 March 1957		Fine Gael
10.	James Ryan	20 March 1957	21 April 1965		Fianna Fáil
11.	Jack Lynch	21 April 1965	10 November 1966		Fianna Fáil
12.	Charles Haughey	10 November 1966	7 May 1970		Fianna Fáil
13.	George Colley (1st time)	9 May 1970	14 March 1973		Fianna Fáil
14.	*Richie Ryan	14 March 1973	5 July 1977		Fine Gael
	*George Colley (2nd time)	5 July 1977	11 December 1979		Fianna Fáil
15.	*Michael O'Kennedy	12 December 1979	16 December 1980		Fianna Fáil
16.	*Gene Fitzgerald	16 December 1980	30 June 1981		Fianna Fáil
17.	John Bruton (1st time)	30 June 1981	9 March 1982		Fine Gael
18.	Ray MacSharry (1st time)	9 March 1982	14 December 1982		Fianna Fáil
19.	Alan Dukes	14 December 1982	14 February 1986		Fine Gael
	*John Bruton (2nd time)	14 February 1986	10 March 1987		Fine Gael
	*Ray MacSharry (2nd time)	10 March 1987	24 November 1988		Fianna Fáil
20.	Albert Reynolds	24 November 1988	7 November 1991		Fianna Fáil
	Charles Haughey (acting)	7 November 1991	14 November 1991		Fianna Fáil
21.	Bertie Ahern	14 November 1991	15 December 1994		Fianna Fáil
22.	Ruairi Quinn	15 December 1994	26 June 1997		Labour Party
23.	Charlie McCreevy	26 June 1997	29 September 2004		Fianna Fáil
24.	Brian Cowen	29 September 2004	7 May 2008		Fianna Fáil
25.	Brian Lenihan	7 May 2008	9 March 2011		Fianna Fáil
26.	Michael Noonan	9 March 2011	Incumbent		Fine Gael

The asterisk (*) indicates Ministers who held both the Finance and Public Service portfolios at the same time.

See also

• National Lottery
• Office of Public Works
• Revenue Commissioners

External links

• Department of Finance