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The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (Irish: Aire Poist agus Telegrafa) was the holder of a position in the Government of Ireland (and, earlier, in the Executive Council of the Irish Free State). From 1924 until 1984 – when it was abolished – the minister headed the Department of Posts and Telegraphs (also known as the P&T in English and P⁊T in Irish, and later stylised as p+t), the government-run postal, telegraph and telephone service covering the Republic of Ireland.

History

The office of Minister for Posts and Telegraphs was created by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, which reorganised the Irish system of government shortly after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The Minister exercised those functions which had formerly been exercised by the Postmaster General of the United Kingdom. Legislation in 1831 had amalgamated the earlier offices of Postmaster General of Great Britain and Postmasters General of Ireland, which became a jointly held role in the administration of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

The Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 defined the department's role:

The Department of Posts and Telegraphs which shall comprise the administration and business generally of public services in connection with posts, telegraphs, and telephones, 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 services specified in the Eighth Part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled, an t-Aire Puist agus Telegrafa or (in English) the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.

The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs was responsible for Ireland's postal and telecommunications services from 1924 to 1984. At its height the department was one of the largest civil service departments in Ireland. The reform of the sector and department began in 1978 with the creation of the Posts and Telegraphs Review Group. This led, following the delivery of a report in 1979, to the creation of the ad hoc Interim Board for Posts (An Bord Poist), chaired by Feargal Quinn, and the Interim Board for Telecommunications (An Bord Telecom), chaired by Michael Smurfit. These two boards continued to sit until An Post and Telecom Éireann, respectively, replaced them in 1984 as state-sponsored agencies.

The Department of Posts and Telegraphs ceased to exist in 1984, and its powers and responsibilities were transferred to the newly created Department of Communications. This was one of the largest reorganisations of the civil service in modern times, the old department having had a workforce of about 30,000 prior to dissolution. With the transfer of personnel to the new agencies, the number of civil service employees was almost halved overnight.

The Minister for Communications was created in 1983 to replace both the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and the Minister for Transport. In 1987, the transport functions of the department were moved to a new Department of Tourism and Transport. In 1991 the minister's functions were passed to the renamed Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications and the department ceased to exist, but was not formally abolished.

The functions which had initially been under the Minister for Communications are now under the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and the Minister for Transport.

Alteration of name and transfer of functions

List of office-holders

Notes

1. Before 1937: DM – Dáil Ministry; PG – Provisional Government; EC – Executive Council.
2. ^ Also Minister for Transport
3. Also Minister for Justice from 12 July 1989 to 11 February 1992

List of ministers of state

Under the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, the Executive Council could appoint Parliamentary Secretaries to assist Ministers in the Executive Council (renamed the Government in 1937). From 1978, this position was abolished and replaced by the position of Minister of State who could be appointed to a government department. The Minister of State did not hold cabinet rank.

References

1. "Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, Section 1: Establishment of the Departments of State, (Part ix)". Irish Statute Book. 21 April 1924. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
2. "Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 (Commencement) Order 1924". Irish Statute Book. 30 May 1924. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
3. "Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1983: Section 1, Definitions". Irish Statute Book. 27 December 1983. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
4. "Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983 (An Post) (Vesting Day) Order 1983". Irish Statute Book. 21 December 1983. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
5. "Communications (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1987". Irish Statute Book. 31 March 1987. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
6. "Communications (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 1987". Irish Statute Book. 31 March 1987. Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
7. "Communications (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1991". Irish Statute Book. 6 February 1991. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
8. "Posts and Telegraphs (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order, 1978". Irish Statute Book. 7 January 1978. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
9. "An tOrdú Poist agus Telegrafa (Feidhmeanna Aire a Tharmligean) 1981". Irish Statute Book (in Irish). 22 January 1980. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
10. "An tOrdú Poist agus Telegrafa (Feidhmeanna Aire a Tharmligean) 1981". Irish Statute Book (in Irish). 12 August 1981. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
11. "Posts and Telegraphs (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 1982". Irish Statute Book. 2 July 1982. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
12. "An tOrdú Poist agus Telegrafa (Feidhmeanna Aire a Tharmligean) 1983". Irish Statute Book (in Irish). 1 March 1983. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
13. "An tOrdú Poist agus Telegrafa (Feidhmeanna Aire a Tharmligean) (Uimh. 2) 1983". Irish Statute Book (in Irish). 15 April 1983. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
14. "Assignment of Department: Announcement by Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (24th Dáil) – Wednesday, 8 January 1984". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
15. "Communications (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 1984". Irish Statute Book. 29 May 1984. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.

• Communications in the Republic of Ireland
• Lists of defunct government ministers of Ireland
• Republic of Ireland postal system
• Telecommunications in the Republic of Ireland