‘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
55 results
Name
| From
| To
| Description
| Source
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity Supply Board | 1927-08-11 | Electricity Supply Act, 1927; www.esb.ie; FitzGerald, 1963 | ||
| Bord na Móna plc | 1946-06-21 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.bnm.ie/; Turf Development Acts 1946 and 1950; S.I. No. 212/1946 | ||
| Arramara Teoranta | 1949-12-01 | 2014-05-09 | Privatised through sale to Acadian Seaplants of Nova Scotia. | McGauran et al. 2005; FitzGerald, 1963; http://www.arramara.ie/; Alginate Industries (Ireland) Limited (Acquisition of shares) Acts 1949, 1954 and 2002 ; Written answers, Thursday, 10 April 2014, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Departmental Agencies; 'New Canadian owner of Connemara seaweed company reassures harvesters' Connacht Tribune, 9 May 2014. |
| Voluntary Health Insurance Board | 1957-02-12 | McGauran et al. 2005; www.vhi.ie; Voluntary Health Insurance Act 1957 and subsequent Amendement Acts: 1996 and 1998; S.I. No.24 (1957); S.I. No.46 (1957) | ||
| Bord Gáis Éireann | 1976-09-13 | 2014-06-20 | Established as Limited Company in 1975; converted to Statutory Corporation in 1976; Restructured as Ervia in 2014 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.bordgais.ie/; Various Gas Acts from 1976 to 2002; S.I. No. 209/1976; ESB (Electronic Communications Networks) Act 2014; S.I. No. 287/2014 |
| Coillte Teoranta | 1989-01-01 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.coillte.ie/; The Forestry Act 1988; S.I. No. 367/1988 | ||
| Dublin Bus | 1987-02-02 | Prior to 1987, didn't exist as a separate subsidiary company, but as a part of CIÉ. In 1987 was given a new status: an operating subsidiary company with CIÉ as a holding company | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.dublinbus.ie/; The Transport (Re-organization of Córas Iompair Éireann) Act 1986 | |
| Iarnród Éireann | 1987-02-02 | Prior to 1987, didn't exist as a separate subsidiary company, but as a part of the CIÉ. In 1987 was given a new status: an operating subsidiary company with the CIÉ as a holding company | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.irishrail.ie/; The Transport (Re-organization of Córas Iompair Éireann) Act 1986 | |
| Bus Éireann | 1987-02-02 | Prior to 1987, didn't exist as a separate subsidiary company, but as a part of the CIÉ. In 1987 was given a new status: an operating subsidiary company with the CIÉ as a holding company | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.buseireann.ie/; The Transport (Re-organization of Córas Iompair Éireann) Act 1986 | |
| Córas Iompair Éireann | 1945-01-01 | Was established in 1944 as limited company, but converted to Statutory Corporation in 1950. Formed from the dissolution of the Great Southern Railways Company and the Dublin United Transport Company, Limited. Also took over the functions of the Board of Control of the Royal Canal and the Grand Canal Company. It currently consists of three subsidiary public companies: Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail; Bus Éireann-Irish Bus; Bus Átha Cliath-Dublin Bus. Former statutory subsidiaries are Aerlód Teoranta and Óstlanna Iompair Eireann Teo. | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.cie.ie/; Various Transport Acts starting with 1950 , especially Transport Act 1974 and Transport (Re-organization of Córas Iompair Éireann) Act 1986 | |
| Aer Lingus | 1936-05-22 | 1993-12-21 | Aer Lingus and Aerlinte Eireann restructured in 1993 into Aer Lingus Group plc. | http://www.aerlingus.com/; Air Navigation and Transport Act 1936; Air Companies (Amendment) Act, 1993 |
| Cómhlucht Siúicre Eireann, Teoranta | 1933-09-22 | 1991-04-01 | Nationalised in 1933 to rescue company and privatized in 1991 as part of the Greencore Plc. Group | Palcic and Reeves, 2007; FitzGerald, 1963; Sugar Manufacture Act, 1933; Sugar Act 1991; http://www.irish-sugar.ie/ |
| British and Irish Steam Packet Company, Ltd | 1965-03-15 | 1992-01-01 | First founded in 1836, nationalized in 1965, privatized in 1992--taken over by Irish Ferries (division of Irish Continental Group) | Palcic and Reeves, 2007; British & Irish Steam Packet Company Limited (Acquisition) Act, 1965 |
| Irish Steel Holdings Limited | 1947-06-01 | 1996-05-01 | Nationalised 1947; privatised--went into receivership 1994; purchased by Irish Ispat--finalized 1996 | State Guarantees Act, 1954; Irish Steel Holdings Limited Act, 1960; Irish Steel Limited Act, 1996; FitzGerald, 1963; Palcic and Reeves 2007 |
| National Development Finance Agency | 2003-01-01 | In 2005 the role and functions of the NDFA were expanded to include a specialised procurement delivery function. In 2014, the NDFA was absorbed into the National Treasury Management Agency but is still operational under the same name. | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.ndfa.ie/; National Development Finance Agency Act, 2002; S.I. No. 617/2002; National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2014; S.I. No. 586/2014; www.ntma.ie | |
| Eirgrid | 2001-02-07 | SI 445 of 2000; Electricity Regulation Act 1999; SI 60 of 2005; http://www.eirgrid.com/ | ||
| Dairy Disposal Company, Ltd. | 1927-04-29 | 1972-01-01 | 3 subsidiaries-Cleeves Confectionary (Limerick) Ltd., Condensed Milk Co. of Ireland Ltd, Newmarket Dairy Co. Ltd | Creamery Act 1928; MacCarthaigh 2009 |
| Agricultural Credit Corporation | 1927-09-30 | 2001-12-01 | Purchased by Rabobank | Agricultural Credit Act, 1927; Acc Bank Act, 1992; Acc Bank Act, 2001; Palcic and Reeves 2007; MacCarthaigh 2009 |
| Industrial Credit Corporation | 1933-10-04 | 2001-01-01 | Purchased by Bank of Scotland | Industrial Credit Act, 1933; ICC Bank Act, 1992; Palcic and Reeves 2007; FitzGerald, 1963; MacCarthaigh 2009 |
| Great Southern Hotels | 1961-06-27 | 2006-08-24 | Nationalised in 1961 as a subsidiary of CIE, then Aer Rianta and the DAA | MacCarthaigh 2009; FitzGerald, 1963; Transport Act, 1963; Dáil Éireann - Volume 203 - 28 May, 1963--Committee on Finance. - Transport Bill, 1963 [Seanad]— Second Stage; 'DAA sells Great Southern Hotels chain' RTE News, 24 August 2006 |
| Irish National Petroleum Corporation | 1979-07-02 | 2001-07-16 | purchased by Tosco Corp. | Irish National Petroleum Corporation Limited Act, 2001; http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Energy/Oil+Supply+Division/National+Petroleum+Corporation+%28INPC%29.htm Palcic and Reeves 2007 |
| 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 |
| Nitrigin Eireann Teoranta | 1961-10-03 | 2008-12-01 | Ended up as a holding company for the state's 51% shareholding in IFI (Irish Fertilizer) | Nítrigin Éireann Teoranta Acts 1963 to 2001; Dáil Éireann - Volume 588 - 06 July, 2004--Written Answers. - Departmental Agencies; Dáil Éireann - Volume 647 - 19 February, 2008--Written Answers. - Semi-State Bodies; CRO |
| Grain Importers (Eire) Ltd | 1939-09-29 | 1960-11-17 | State Guarantees Act, 1954; S.I. No. 88/1961; State Enterprises; By John O'Donovan, M.A., D.ECON.SC.[Read before the Society, 12th May, 1950.]; Dáil Éireann - Volume 222 - 29 March, 1966--Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Overdraft of Grain Importers, Limited. | |
| Aer Rianta | 1937-04-05 | 2004-10-01 | Under the 2004 State Airports Act, the DAA assumed responsibility for all the assets, liabilities and contracts of the former Aer Rianta; eventually some responsibility will go to Cork and Shannon Airport Authorities. Aer Rianta was originally the holding company for Aer Lingus and Aerlinte Eireann | Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1936; S.I. No. 177/1938; Air Companies Act, 1966; State Airports Act 2004; http://www.dublinairportauthority.com/company-profile/company-history.html |
| Anglo Irish Bank | 2009-01-21 | 2011-10-14 | Nationalized in 2009, and on 14 October 2011, the name of Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Limited was changed to Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Limited, trading as IBRC. | Anglo-Irish Bank Corporation Act 2009; http://www.angloirishbank.ie/; Laeven & Valencia, 'Systemic Banking Crises Database: An Update', IMF Working Paper WP/12/163, p. 29. |
| Irish Life Assurance Co., Ltd | 1939-03-15 | 1991-07-01 | Former subsidiaries include Irish Estates, Ltd. and Ilasco | Insurance Act 1936; Insurance Amendment Act 1938; Palcic and Reeves 2007 |
| Erin Foods | 1963-08-20 | 1990-01-01 | Subsidiary of Irish Sugar | Sugar Manufacture (Amendment) Act, 1962; S.I. No. 195/1965; McCarthaigh 2009 |
| Irish Shipping Ltd | 1941-03-21 | 1984-11-14 | Irish Shipping Limited Act, 1947; Dáil Éireann - Volume 353 - 14 November, 1984--Irish Shipping Limited: Motion | |
| Ceimicí Teoranta | 1947-01-29 | 1986-07-30 | Monarchana Alcóil na hÉireann, Teoranta under 1938 Act; change of name under Industrial Alcohol (Amendment) Act, 1947; went into liquidation in 1986. | Industrial Alcohol (Amendment) Act, 1947; '£4.5m. losses force closure of Ceimici Teo' Irish Independent, 31 July 1986 |
| Monarchana Alcóil na hÉireann, Teoranta | 1938-11-11 | 1947-01-29 | Replaced Industrial Alcohol Advisory Board, replaced by Ceimicí Teoranta | Industrial Alcohol Act, 1938; Industrial Alcohol (Amendment) Act, 1947 |
| Turf Development Board, Ltd. | 1934-07-16 | 1946-06-21 | Replaced by Bord na Móna | Turf (Use and Development) Act, 1936; Turf Development Act, 1946 |
| Min-Fhéir Teo (II) | 1960-05-01 | 1982-01-01 | Re-formed version of Min-Fheir (I); liquidated in 1982, see Irish Times 05/05/00 | Grass Meal (Production) Acts, 1959 and 1969; FitzGerald, 1963; Irish Times 05/05/00 |
| Kilkenny Design Workshops Ltd | 1963-04-19 | 1988-11-01 | Transferred to Kilkenny Civic Trust in Nov 1988 | Kilkenny Design Workshops Limited Act, 1982; Seanad Éireann - Volume 119 - 26 May, 1988--Adjournment Matter. - Kilkenny Design Workshops |
| Fuel Importers (Eire) Ltd | 1940-07-08 | 1959-05-27 | State Guarantees Act, 1954; S.I. No. 88/1961; Dáil Éireann - Volume 81 - 19 February, 1941--Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fuel Importers, Limited; Dáil Éireann - Volume 175 - 27 May, 1959--Committee on Finance. - Vote 50—Industry and Commerce; 'Liquidator for Fuel Importers' Irish TImes, 27 May 1959 | |
| Tea Importers (Eire) Ltd | 1941-07-08 | 1958-01-01 | Replaced by Tea Importers, Ltd. | State Guarantees Act, 1954; Tea (Purchase and Importation) Act, 1958; S.I. No. 88/1961; Aylmer, D., 'Tea for the Irish' in the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, Jun. 1999; Seanad Éireann - Volume 49 - 16 April, 1958--Tea (Purchase and Importation) Bill, 1957—Second Stage |
| Animal Feeding Stuffs (Éire) Ltd | 1939-11-20 | 1950-09-01 | PQ Co Reg No 9887; Dáil Éireann - Volume 79 - 06 March, 1940--Vote 71—Office of the Minister for Supplies; Dáil Éireann - Volume 101 - 04 June, 1946--Committee on Finance. - Vote 29—Agriculture; legal notice in Irish Times 22 August 1950 | |
| Mianrai Teoranta | 1945-06-01 | 1955-01-01 | Amalgamation of the former Slieveardagh Coalfield Development Company Limited and the Minerals Exploration and Development Company, Limited | Minerals Company Acts, 1945 & 1947 |
| Minerals Exploration and Development Company, Limited | 1941-09-01 | 1945-06-01 | Death by merge into Mianrai Teoranta | Minerals Exploration and Development Company Act, 1941; Minerals Company Act, 1945 |
| Slieveardagh Coalfield Development Company Limited | 1941-05-20 | 1945-06-01 | Merge into Mianrai Teoranta | Slievardagh Coalfield Development Act, 1941; Minerals Company Act, 1945 |
| Min-Fhéir Teo (I) | 1954-03-05 | 1956-01-01 | Grass Meal (Production) Act, 1953; Dáil Éireann - Volume 158 - 26 June, 1956; Written Answers; Dáil Éireann - Volume 241 - 09 July, 1969 | |
| Timber Importers Ltd | 1939-11-20 | 1950-04-01 | Imported Timber (Maximum Prices) (No. 15) Orders 1947-1949; Dáil Éireann - Volume 135 - 04 December, 1952--Adoption Bill, 1952—From Seanad. - Supplies and Services (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1946 (Continuance) Bill, 1952—Second Stage (Resumed); Irish Times 10 Aug 1949 | |
| Trustee Savings Bank | 1992-06-01 | 2001-04-01 | Nationalised and merged with Irish Life & Permanent (formerly Irish Life Assurance and Irish Permanent Building Society)--now trades under the name Permanent TSB | Trustee Savings Banks Act, 1989; S.I. No. 55/1992; S.I. No. 175/2001; Palcic and Reeves 2007; MacCarthaigh 2009; http://web.archive.org/web/19991119021859/http://www.tsbbank.ie/ |
| Oils and Fats (Eire) Ltd | 1944-02-18 | 1950-04-14 | O'Donovan 1950; MacCarthaigh 2009; Dáil Éireann - Volume 103 - 23 October, 1946--Written Answers. - Directors of State-Controlled Companies; legal notice in Irish Times 5 April 1950 | |
| Bord Gáis Éireann Teoranta | 1975-04-18 | 1976-09-13 | Replaced by Bord Gáis Éireann | Gas Act, 1976; Dáil Éireann - Volume 291 - 15 June, 1976--Return to Writs: North-East Donegal and Dublin South-West. - Gas Bill, 1976: Second Stage |
| Aerlinte Eireann Teoranta | 1947-02-22 | 1993-12-21 | In 1993 Aer Lingus and Aerlinte were restructured into Aer Lingus Group plc. | Dáil Éireann - Volume 358 - 16 May, 1985--Written Answers. - State and Semi-State Bodies; Dáil Éireann - Volume 437 - 15 December, 1993--Air Companies (Amendment) Bill, 1993: Committee Stage |
| Aer Lingus Group plc | 1993-12-21 | 2006-09-01 | Aer Lingus and Aerlinte Eireann restructured in 1993 into Aer Lingus Group plc. | McGauran et al. 2005; Air Companies (Amendment) Act, 1993; Dáil Éireann - Volume 437 - 15 December, 1993--Air Companies (Amendment) Bill, 1993: Committee Stage; http://www.aerlingus.com/ |
| National Asset Management Agency | 2009-12-21 | http://www.nama.ie/; National Asset Management Agency Act, 2009 | ||
| Aerlód Teoranta | 1964-07-07 | 2001-09-11 | Subsidiary of CIÉ | S.I. No. 95/1964; Seanad Éireann - Volume 57 - 13 May, 1964--Report of Joint Committee on Standing Orders (Private Business). - Transport Act, 1950 (Additional Powers) Order, 1964: Motion of Confirmation |
| Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Limited | 2011-10-14 | 2013-02-07 | After the transfer of the business of Irish Nationwide Building Society (INBS) to Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Limited on 1 July 2011, the Bank’s name was changed to Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Limited, and it traded as IBRC until going into special liquidation on 7 February 2013. | http://www.ibrc.ie/Media_centre/IBRC_news/Press_Releases/Press_Release_Pages/Change_of_Name_%E2%80%93_Anglo_Irish_Bank_Corporation_Limited.html; Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Act 2013; S.I. No. 36/2013; CRO, Registered Company No. 22045 |
| Irish Life Ltd. | 2011-03-31 | 2013-07-18 | The Minister for Finance had a 100% direct shareholding in Irish Life and its subsidiary companies. Irish Life was sold in July 2013 to Canada’s Great-West Lifeco. | Statement by the Dept of Finance: http://finance.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=7295; Laeven & Valencia, 'Systemic Banking Crises Database: An Update', IMF Working Paper WP/12/163, p. 29.; 'State closes €1.3 billion sale of Irish Life to Canada’s Great-West Lifeco', Irish Times, 19 July 2013 |
| Allied Irish Bank | 2011-04-01 | The Irish State has been AIB majority shareholder since April 2011 through the National Pension Reserve Fund (now Irish Strategic Investment Fund). The Educational Building Society (EBS) was taken into state ownership through absorption into AIB on 1 July 2011. In 2017, the Shareholding and Financial Advisory Division (SFAD) planned and implemented an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of a portion of the State’s shares in AIB, listing the stock on the premium segment of the Irish and London stock exchanges. The IPO resulted in the sale of 28.75% of the banks ordinary shares (including a greenshoe mechanism) and recouped €3.4 billion for the Irish exchequer. The State now retains about 71% of the bank’s Ordinary Shares. | Written answers - Banks Recapitalisation, Wednesday, 20 June 2012, Dáil Éireann Debate, Vol. 769 No. 2; Written Answers - Banking Sector Regulation, Thursday, 29 March 2012, Dáil Éireann Debate, Vol. 761 No. 2; National Pension Reserve Fund Annual Report 2010; http://www.aib.ie/; 'State's Shareholding in Banks' www.gov.ie/en/publication/066a28-banks/ | |
| Ervia | 2014-06-20 | Holding company for Gas Networks Ireland and Irish Water | ESB (Electronic Communications Networks) Act 2014; S.I. No. 287/2014 | |
| Gas Networks Ireland | 2014-06-03 | Gas Regulation Act 2013; S.I. No. 229/2014 | ||
| Permanent TSB Group Holdings p.l.c | 2011-07-26 | In 2011, Permanent TSB p.l.c received significant support from the Irish State in the context of the financial crisis. As a result of these State support measures, the Minister for Finance of Ireland then became the owner of 99.2% of the issued ordinary shares of the Company. In April 2015, this interest reduced to 74.92% following the successful completion of a €400m equity capital raise, an open offer take up for €2m and through the sale by the Minister for Finance of 21.8 million shares. | www.permanenttsbgroup.ie; www.permanenttsbgroup.ie/media/press-releases/2011/26-07-2011; www.assets.gov.ie/5907/220119171401-73204346db4a45f9b88b0b4cd64066a7.pdf; www.gov.ie/en/publication/066a28-banks/; Credit Institutions (Stabilisation) Act 2010 |