Unit Information

‘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

Filter units by: public order and safety NEC

Name:

 

Parent:

Legal Form:

 

Function:

 

Policy Domain:

 
Advanced options

County:

Rank:

Ombudsman:

Comptroller:

Foi:

Function of Government COFOG:

Establishment Date:

End Date:

57 results

Name
From
To
Description
Source
Law Society of Ireland1830-06-24n/aMcGauran et al. 2005; www.lawsociety.ie; Solicitors Acts 1954-2002
Censorship of Publications Board1929-07-16McGauran et al. 2005; Censorship of Publications Act 1929
Censorship of Publications Appeal Board1946-02-13McGauran et al. 2005; Censorship of Publications Acts 1946 and 1967; http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/travel-and-recreation/recreational-activities-in-ireland/censorship-in-ireland/censorship_of_publications_in_ireland; Dáil Éireann - Volume 588 - 06 July, 2004--Written Answers. - Departmental Bodies
Broadcasting Complaints Commission1977-03-312009-10-01Merged with BCI in 2009 to form Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.bai.ie/; Broadcasting Authority Act 1960; Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Act 1976; Radio and television Act 1988; Broadcasting Act 1990; Ministerial Order 1992; Broadcasting Act 2001; Broadcasting Act 2009; Dáil Éireann - Volume 588 - 06 July, 2004--Written Answers. - State Boards
Legal Aid Board (incl. Refugee Legal Service)1979-12-22Was set up as a statutory body on foot of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.legalaidboard.ie; Civil Legal Aid Act 1995; Dáil Éireann - Volume 337 - 02 July, 1982--Written Answers. - State-Sponsored Bodies
Fire Services Council1983-06-222012-06-08McGauran et al. 2005; Fire Services Act 1981; S.I. No. 175/1983; Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2012
Valuation Tribunal1988-07-22McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.valuationtribunal.ie/; The Valuation Act 1988; Valuation Act 2001; S.I. No. 191/1988
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform1997-07-092010-06-02http://www.justice.ie/; S.I. No. 298/1997; S.I. No. 216/2010
Judicial Studies Institute1996-01-012011-01-25Replaced by the Committee for Judicial StudiesMcGauran et al. 2005; Court and Court Officers Act 1995; http://www.aji.ie/supports/judicial_education
Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner2000-01-202016-12-31Replaced by the International Protection OfficeMcGauran et al. 2005; http://www.orac.ie/; Refugee Act 1996; S.I. No. 8/2000; www.ipo.gov.ie; International Protection Act 2015; S.I. No. 661/2016 - International Protection Act 2015 (Establishment Day) Order 2016
Aquaculture Licence Appeals Board1998-06-17McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.alab.ie/; Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997
Equality Tribunal1999-10-182015-10-01Also known as the Office of the Director of Equality Investigations--name changed to Equality Tribunal by the Equality Act 2004 (section 30). Merged with the National Employment Rights Authority, Labour Relations Commission, Rights Commissioners Service and the Employment Appeals Tribunalin 2015 to create the Workplace Relations Commission.http://www.equalitytribunal.ie/; Employment Equality Act 1998; Equal Status Act 2000; Equality Act 2004; Workplace Relations Act 2015; S.I. No. 412/2015 - Workplace Relations Act 2015 (Establishment Day) Order 2015
Irish Water Safety Association (II)1999-11-262006-06-26Prior to 1999: Water Safety Ireland (1945-1998); the Irish Water Safety Association (1971-1987) - was amalgamated with fire and road safety under the auspices of the National Safety Council. In 1998 the Government decided to re-establish Water Safety as a singular organization. In 2006 was replaced by Irish Water SafetyMcGauran et al. 2005; http://www.iws.ie/; S.I. No.361/1999; S.I. No. 389 of 2006
National Crime Council1999-09-012008-10-14The NCC ceased operations on 14 October 2008 as a result of a Government decision to rationalise State Agencies in the context of Budget 2009McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.irlgov.ie/crimecouncil/
Refugee Appeals Tribunal2000-10-042016-12-31Replaced by the International Protection Appeals TribunalMcGauran et al. 2005; http://www.refappeal.ie/; 1951 Geneva Convention on the status of refugees; Refugee Act 1996; www.protectionappeals.ie; International Protection Act 2015; S.I. No. 661/2016 - International Protection Act 2015 (Establishment Day) Order 2016
Irish Human Rights Commission2001-07-252014-11-01Set up as a direct result of the Good Equality Authority in 2014 to create the Irish Human Rights and Equality CommissionMcGauran et al. 2005; http://www.ihrc.ie/; Human Rights Commission Acts 2000 and 2001; S.I. No. 340/2001; www.ihrec.ie; Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014; S.I. No. 450/2014
Parole Board2001-04-01Replaced Sentence Review Group and was established on an interim administrative basis in 2001. Placed on a statutory footing via the Parole Act 2019 (No. 28 of 2019)McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Parole_Board; Parole Act 2019 (No. 28 of 2019); S.I. No. 406/2021
Marine Casualty Investigation Board2002-06-05McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.mcib.ie/; Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act, 2000; S.I. No. 290/2002
Irish Water Safety Association (I)1971-04-011987-12-18Established on a statutory basis on August 1 1980. The National Road Safety Association, the Fire Prevention Council and the Irish Water Safety Council were merged in 1987 to form the National Safety Council.S.I. No. 244/1980; S.I. No. 327/1987; Dáil Éireann - Volume 261 - 20 June, 1972--Committee on Finance. - Vote 26: Local Government
National Road Safety Association1974-04-081987-12-18the National Road Safety Association, the Fire Prevention Council and the Irish Water Safety Council were merged in 1987 to form the National Safety CouncilS.I. No. 103/1974; S.I. No. 327/1987
National Safety Council1987-12-182007-10-10Created from the merger of the National Road Safety Association, the Fire Prevention Council and the Irish Water Safety Council. S.I. No. 327/1987; S.I. No. 813 of 2007; http://web.archive.org/web/20060101092046/http://www.nsc.ie/
Ombudsman for the Defence Forces2005-08-31Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act 2004; http://odf.ie/; S.I. No. 568/2005
Personal Injuries Resolution Board2004-04-13Rebranded in 2023 as the Personal Injuries Resolution Board, previously the Personal Injuries Assessment BoardS.I. No. 627/2023
Private Residential Tenancies Board2004-09-012016-04-07Replaced by the Residential Tenancies BoardResidential Tenancies Act 2004; http://www.prtb.ie/; www.rtb.ie; Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015; S.I. No. 151/2016
Private Security Authority2004-10-28Private Security Services Act 2004; http://www.psa.gov.ie/
Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service2005-04-01http://www.inis.gov.ie/
Welfare Service1969-01-011979-01-01As a service was established in 1962 under the title: 'Probation and After-Care Service'. In 1969 was re-named to the 'Welfare Service'. In 1979 was re-named to the 'Probation and Welfare Service'http://www.probation.ie/
Road Safety Authority2006-09-01Road Safety Authority Act 2006; http://www.rsa.ie/
Department of Labour 1966-07-121993-01-21Coakley & Gallagher 2005; Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1966; S.I. No. 162/1966; S.I. No. 20/1993
National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health1989-11-012005-09-01Created with merge of Factories Advisory Council, Office Premises Advisory Council, Mines & Quarries Council, Dangerous Substances Advisory Council; Death by Change of Name to Health and Safety AuthoritySafety, Health and Welfare At Work Act, 1989; Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005
Office Premises Advisory Council1959-04-011989-11-01Merged into National Authority for Occupational Safety and HealthOffice Premises Act, 1958; Safety, Health and Welfare At Work Act, 1989
Factories Advisory Council 1956-10-011989-11-01Merged into National Authority for Occupational Safety and HealthFactories Act 1955; Safety, Health and Welfare At Work Act, 1989
Mines and Quarries Advisory Committee1966-07-281989-11-01Merged into National Authority for Occupational Safety and HealthMines and Quarries Act 1965; Safety, Health and Welfare At Work Act, 1989
Dangerous Substances Advisory Council1979-01-011989-11-01Merged into National Authority for Occupational Safety and HealthDangerous Substances (Amendment) Act, 1979; Safety, Health and Welfare At Work Act, 1989
Probation and Welfare Service1979-01-012006-06-26Previously known as the 'Welfare Service'. In 1979 was re-named to the 'Probation and Welfare Service'. Restructured as the 'Probation Service' in 2006. The Probation of Offenders Act (1907) provided for statutory supervision of offenders in the community and is the foundation for probation work in Ireland. McGauran et al. 2005; Criminal Justice (Community Service) Act 1983; Criminal Justice Act 2006; http://www.probation.ie/
Probation Service2006-06-26Replaced the 'Probation and Welfare Service' in 2006Criminal Justice Act 2006; http://www.probation.ie/
Criminal Law Codification Advisory Committee2007-02-01http://www.criminalcode.ie/; Criminal Justice Act 2006
Probation and After-Care Service1962-01-011969-01-01Probation officers can be traced back to the 1907 Probation of Offenders Act; but no separate agency/service was established. As a service was established in 1962 under the title: 'Probation and After-Care Service'. In 1969 was reorganized and re-named the 'Welfare Service'. Probation of Offenders Act 1907; Criminal Justice (Administration) Act 1914; Criminal Justice Act 1960; http://www.probation.ie/
Sentence Review Group1989-12-012001-04-01Replaced by Parole BoardDáil Éireann - Volume 537 - 31 May, 2001--Written Answers. - Sentence Review Group; Dáil Éireann - Volume 394 - 13 December, 1989--Written Answers. - Long-Term Prisoners; http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Parole_Board
National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence2007-06-250000-00-00In August 2019, the Department of Justice implemented a significant Transformation Programme, most notably in response to the recommendations of the Effectiveness and Renewal Group which was established by Government in January 2018. The Department's work was previously structured by subject areas relating to different parts of the Justice and Equality sector. Cosc - The National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence was an example of thishttp://www.cosc.ie/; Dáil Éireann - Volume 639 - 09 October, 2007--Written Answers. - Departmental Agencies
State Pathologist's Office1929-01-01http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/State_Pathologist%27s_Office; Dáil Éireann - Volume 62 - 17 June, 1936--Committee on Finance. - Vote 32—Office of the Minister for Justice (Resumed); Obituary, John McGrath, M.D. M.Sc., British Medical Journal, 26 Jan. 1957 (http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/1/5012/232.pdf)
Department of Justice and Law Reform2010-06-022011-04-02http://www.justice.ie/; S.I. No. 216/2010; S.I. No. 138/2011
Office for Internet Safety2008-03-012019-06-30The functions of the Office for Internet Safety have been incorporated into the Cybercrime division of the Department of Justice and Equalityhttp://www.internetsafety.ie/; www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Cybercrime;www.oireachtas.ie/ga/debates/question/2018-02-06/250/
Irish Water Safety2006-06-262019-02-18Replaced the Irish Water Safety Association, replaced by Water Safety IrelandS.I. No. 389 of 2006; http://www.iws.ie/; S.I. No. 56/2019; www.watersafety.ie
Comhairle na Míre Gaile1947-04-22www.bravery.ie/; Deeds of Bravery Act, 1947
Committee for Judicial Studies2011-01-25http://www.aji.ie/supports/judicial_education; http://www.ejtn.eu/About/EJTN-Affiliates/Members/Ireland/
Independent Monitoring Commission2004-01-072011-03-31Established by agreement between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain And Northern IrelandIndependent Monitoring Commission Act 2003; S.I. No. 160/2011; Written answers Thursday, 20 October 2011, Department of Justice, Equality and Defence, Departmental Bodies
Independent International Commission on Decommissioning1997-09-242011-03-31Decommissioning Act, 1997; S.I. No. 159/2011; Written answers Thursday, 20 October 2011, Department of Justice, Equality and Defence, Departmental Bodies
Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime2005-03-01http://www.csvc.ie/; Written answers, Wednesday, 16 October 2013, Department of Justice and Equality, Departmental Funding
Water Safety Ireland2019-02-18Replaced Irish Water SafetyS.I. No. 56/2019; www.watersafety.ie
Workplace Relations Commission2015-10-01New agency created to assume roles and functions of the National Employment Rights Authority, Equality Tribunal, Labour Relations Commission, Rights Commissioners Service and the Employment Appeals Tribunalwww.workplacerelations.ie; Workplace Relations Act 2015; S.I. No. 412/2015 - Workplace Relations Act 2015 (Establishment Day) Order 2015
International Protection Appeals Tribunal2016-12-31Replaced the Refugee Appeals Tribunal​www.protectionappeals.ie; International Protection Act 2015; S.I. No. 661/2016 - International Protection Act 2015 (Establishment Day) Order 2016
International Protection Office2016-12-31Replaced the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC)www.ipo.gov.ie; International Protection Act 2015; S.I. No. 661/2016 - International Protection Act 2015 (Establishment Day) Order 2016
Residential Tenancies Board2016-04-07Replaced the Private Residential Tenancies Board and absorbed functions of the Rent Tribunal. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 provided the RTB with additional powers to regulate the rental sector, including a new investigations and sanctions unit www.rtb.ie; Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015; S.I. No. 151/2016; S.I. No. 4/2016; Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission 2014-11-01Result of a merger of the Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authoritywww.ihrec.ie; Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014; S.I. No. 450/2014
Air Accident Investigation Unit2009-12-09www.aaiu.ie; S.I. No. 460/2009
Department of Justice (II)2020-11-01Replaced Department of Justice and Equality S.I. No. 452/2020; http://www.justice.ie/