‘Units’ in this database are national-level organisations which perform public functions under public authority. These include government departments, agencies, and commercial state-owned enterprises. For further details on the types of organisations included in the database, see the what we have done and why document.
Units can be searched by name, legal form, function, policy area, or date. On each unit’s page, information is available including dates of activity, alternate names, relevant legislation, related units, related events. and also data on characteristics such as legal form, policy area, function, accountability mechanisms, location, and parent bodies. For further details on the data recorded about each unit, see the Codebook
28 results
Name
| From
| To
| Description
| Source
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioners of Irish Lights | 1867-01-01 | Under the Dublin Port Act (1867), responsibility for lighthouses, lightships, buoys and beacons around the coast of Ireland was vested in the Commissioners of Irish Lights. The British-Irish Act 1999 provided for merge with Foyle Fisheries Commission into the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission as the 'Lights Agency' however this did not take place (see http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/index/north-south-implementation-bodies/foyle_carlingford-and-irish-lights.htm) | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.cil.ie/; " An Act for Promoting the Trade of Dublin, by rendering its Port and Harbour more commodious, 1786"; "Merchant Shipping Act of 1854"; "Dublin Port Act (1867); No. 661/1935: Irish Lights Commissioners (Adaptation) Order, 1935; No. 37/1997: MERCHANT SHIPPING (COMMISSIONERS OF IRISH LIGHTS) ACT, 1997; British-Irish Agreement Act, 1999 | |
| An Post | 1984-01-01 | Former subsidiaries include PostGEM. Also acts as joint owner of the Prize Bond Company, Ltd. | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost; Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983; the National Lottery Act 1986 | |
| Department of Posts and Telegraphs | 1924-06-01 | 1984-01-02 | abolished by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1983 | Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924; Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1983 |
| Shannon Development | 1959-01-28 | 2014-09-05 | While Shannon Development's primary reporting line is to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, they also liaise with the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland in their role as the Regional Tourism Authority for the Shannon Region. Responsibility for tourism and aviation were delegated under S.I. No. 94/1987. On 5 Septemnber 2014 Shannon Development became part of Shannon Group plc and was renamed Shannon Commercial Enterprises DAC (Trading as Shannon Commercial Properties) and Shannon Developments previous enterprise support, employment development and tourism functions were transferred to the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Fáilte Ireland. | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.shannon-dev.ie/; Shannon Free Airport Development Company Ltd. Act, 1959; www.shannongroup.ie; www.gov.ie; State Airports (Shannon Group) Act 2014; S.I. No. 396/2014 |
| Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources | 2007-10-20 | 2016-07-23 | http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/; Creation: S.I. No. 706 of 2007, Termination: S.I. No. 421 of 2016 | |
| Department of Transport, Energy and Communications | 1993-01-22 | 1997-07-11 | S.I. No. 17/1993; S.I. No. 299/1997; http://www.transport.ie/; IPA Administration Journal 2007, Vol. 55 No. 1 | |
| Department of Communications | 1984-01-02 | 1991-02-08 | Incorporated Transport and Posts and Telegraphs. Functions transferred to Department of Marine and Department of Tourism and Transport, 1987, and Department of Tourism, Transport and Communications in 1991. | Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1983; S.I. No. 91/1987; S.I. No. 92/1987; S.I. No. 26/1991 |
| Department of Tourism, Transport and Communications | 1991-02-07 | 1993-01-22 | http://www.transport.ie/; IPA Administration Journal 2007, Vol. 55 No. 1; S.I. No. 25/1991; S.I. No. 17/1993 | |
| Waterways Ireland | 1999-12-02 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.waterwaysireland.org/; the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999 | ||
| Broadcasting Commission of Ireland | 2001-09-01 | 2009-10-01 | Prior to 2001, existed under the name of the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) est. in 1988. Merged with BCC in 2009 to form Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.bai.ie/; Radio and Television Act 1988; the Broadcasting Act 2001; the Broadcasting (Funding) Act 2003; Broadcasting Act 2009 |
| Commission for Communications Regulation | 2002-12-01 | McGauran et al. 2005; Communications Regulation Act 2002; http://www.comreg.ie/ | ||
| Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources | 2002-06-19 | 2007-10-20 | S.I. No. 307 of 2002; S.I. No. 706 of 2007; http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/; IPA Administration Journal 2007, Vol. 55 No. 1 | |
| Department of Public Enterprise | 1997-07-12 | 2002-06-18 | S.I. No. 299/1997; S.I. No. 305/2002; http://www.transport.ie/; IPA Administration Journal 2007, Vol. 55 No. 1 | |
| Bord Telecom Éireann | 1984-01-01 | 1999-07-01 | Became eircom after privatisation in 1999; subsidiaries included EIRTRADE Services, Ltd., Telecommunications Investments, plc., and EIRCELL. | Postal and Telecommunications Services Act, 1983; Postal and Telecommunications Services (Amendment) Act, 1999; MacCarthaigh 2009 |
| Electronic Communications Appeal Panel | 2003-01-01 | 2007-06-13 | S.I. No.307/2003; http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Communications/Regulation+and+Postal+Division/The+former+Electronic+Communications+Appeals+Panel.htm; Dáil Éireann - Volume 656 - 29 May, 2008--Written Answers. - Commission for Communications Regulation | |
| Digital Media Development Limited | 2000-03-28 | 2003-07-21 | Dissolved and replaced by Digital Hub Development Agency | S.I. No. 220/2001; Digital Hub Development Agency Act 2003; Dáil Éireann - Volume 647 - 19 February, 2008--Written Answers. - Departmental Bodies |
| Irish News Agency | 1950-03-20 | 1957-07-15 | Irish News Agency Act, 1949; Dáil Éireann - Volume 162 - 25 June, 1957--Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish News Agency; Horgan, J. (2001)'Irish media: a critical history since 1922', London: Routledge; 'News Agency's Directors' Fees' Irish Times, 21 March 1950; 'Irish News Agency Closes Down' Irish Times, 16 July 1957 | |
| Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation | 1997-03-10 | 2002-12-01 | Replaced by the Commission for Communications Regulation | Telecommunications (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1996; Communications Regulation Act, 2002 |
| Broadcasting Authority of Ireland | 2009-10-01 | 2023-03-15 | Created by merge of BCC and BCI. Subsequently replaced by Coimisiún na Meán | Broadcasting Act 2009; http://www.bai.ie/; Part 16 of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 (No. 41 of 2022); S.I. No. 72/2023 |
| Government Information Bureau | 1934-02-01 | 1973-04-01 | Press channel for ministerial statements; Replaced by Government Information Services (GIS). Change in office title associated with appointment of Muiris MacConghail as the Head of GIB/GIS in April 1973 | Dáil Éireann - Volume 54 - 18 December, 1934--Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cancellation of Government Advertising |
| Government Information Services | 1973-04-01 | Change in office title associated with appointment of Muiris MacConghail as the Head of GIB/GIS in April 1973 | Dáil Éireann - Volume 269 - 14 December, 1973--Committee on Finance. - Vote No. 3: Department of the Taoiseach (Resumed); http://www.merrionstreet.ie/ | |
| Broadcasting Advisory Committee | 1927-03-24 | 1952-12-31 | Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1926; S.I. No. 31/1927; http://www.rte.ie/ | |
| Office for Internet Safety | 2008-03-01 | 2019-06-30 | The functions of the Office for Internet Safety have been incorporated into the Cybercrime division of the Department of Justice and Equality | http://www.internetsafety.ie/; www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Cybercrime;www.oireachtas.ie/ga/debates/question/2018-02-06/250/ |
| Regulator of Premium Rate Telecommunications Services | 1995-07-17 | 2010-07-12 | S.I. No. 194/1995; Communications Regulation (Premium Rate Services and Electronic Communications Infrastructure) Act 2010; S.I. No. 234/2010; http://web.archive.org/web/20080714181007/http:/www.regtel.ie/ | |
| Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment | 2016-07-23 | 2020-09-24 | Creation of new Department to succeed Dept of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Subsequently replaced by Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. Public broadcasting responsibilities also transferred to new Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media | S.I. No. 421/2016; www.dccae.gov.ie ; www.merrionstreet.ie/MerrionStreet/en/News-Room/Speeches/Speech_by_An_Taoiseach_Enda_Kenny_TD_Nomination_of_Members_of_the_Government.html; S.I. No. 373/2020; S.I. No. 372/2020 |
| Shannon Group plc | 2014-09-05 | Shannon Group is a public limited company whose principal activities include the operation, management and development of Shannon Airport, the management and development of the commercial property portfolio held by Shannon Commercial Properties (formerly part of Shannon Development) and the operation of the tourism sites managed by Shannon Heritage. A fourth business unit of the Group is the International Aviation Services Centre (IASC) which is focused on further development of the aviation business cluster in Shannon. | www.shannongroup.ie; www.gov.ie; State Airports (Shannon Group) Act 2014; S.I. No. 395/2014; S.I. No. 396/2014 | |
| Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications | 2020-09-24 | Replaced Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment | S.I. No. 373/2020; https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-the-environment-climate-and-communications/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/decc/ | |
| Coimisiún na Meán | 2023-03-15 | Coimisiún na Meán assumed the functions of the prior Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. It has also been mandated to establish a regulatory framework for online safety, to update the regulation of television broadcasting and video on-demand. It will also facilitate the transposition of relevant EU directives into Irish law | Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 (No. 41 of 2022); Broadcasting Act 2009 (No. 18 of 2009) (as amended); S.I. No. 72/2023; https://www.cnam.ie/about-us/ |