‘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
66 results
Name
| From
| To
| Description
| Source
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing Finance Agency plc | 1982-02-08 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.hfa.ie/; Housing Finance Agency Act 1981 | ||
| Arts Council | 1951-05-08 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.artscouncil.ie/; The Arts Acts 1951; 1973 and 2003 | ||
| Screen Ireland | 1981-08-14 | Known as the Irish Film Board until renamed Screen Ireland in June 2018. Hiatus between 1987 and 1993 (see Dáil Éireann - Volume 373 - 25 June, 1987-- Estimates, 1987. - Vote 3: Department of the Taoiseach (Revised Estimate) and 'Higgins move to reactivate film board welcomed' P Woodworth, Irish Times, 31/03/1993). | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/; Irish Film Board Act 1980; S.I. No. 282/1981; Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 1993; Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 1997; Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 2000; National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Act 2015; S.I. No. 182/2018 | |
| Higher Education Authority | 1968-08-15 | Placed on a statutory footing in 1972 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.hea.ie/; Higher Education Authority Act 1971; 'Higher Education Authority Formed' Irish Times, 16 August 1968 | |
| Health Research Board | 1986-08-14 | Amalgamation of the Medico-Social Research Board and the Medical Research Council of Ireland | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.hrb.ie/; S.I. No.279/1986; S.I. No.452/1986; S.I. No.115/2002; S.I. No.205/2002 | |
| Medical Research Council of Ireland | 1937-01-26 | 1986-10-31 | Dissolved to form Medical Research Board, which merged with Medico-Social Research Board into Health Research Board | S.I. No. 371/1986; S.I. No. 451 & 452/1986; http://www.hrb.ie/; FitzGerald, 1963; IPA Yearbook |
| Fulbright Commission Ireland | 1992-02-03 | An Bord Scoláireachtaí Cómalairte, established in 1957 by means of the Scholarship Exchange (Ireland and the United States of America) Act, 1957, was replaced under the Educational Exchange (Ireland and the United States of America) Act, 1991. | http://www.fulbright.ie/; Scholarship Exchange (Ireland and the United States of America) Act, 1957; the Educational Exchange (Ireland and the United States of America) Act, 1991; S.I. No. 354/1991. | |
| Léargas | 1993-10-28 | Léargas manage international and national exchange programmes in education, youth and community work, and vocational education and training | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.leargas.ie/ | |
| Heritage Council | 1995-07-10 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/; Heritage Act 1995 | ||
| Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB) | 1999-12-02 | http://www.seupb.org/; the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999; the North-South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) Northern Ireland Order 1999 | ||
| Western Development Commission | 1999-02-01 | Was established on a non-statutory basis in 1997 and became a statutory body in January 1999 on the basis of the Western Development Commission Act 1998 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.wdc.ie/; Western Development Commission Act 1998; S.I. No.9/1999 | |
| Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences | 2000-01-01 | 2012-03-29 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://research.ie/; Written answers, Tuesday, 13 May 2014, Department of Education and Skills -Departmental Bodies Data | |
| Science Foundation Ireland | 2003-07-25 | Was established in 2000 as a sub-board of Forfás. In 2003 was established on a statutory basis | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.sfi.ie/; Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) Act 2003 | |
| Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology | 2001-06-01 | 2012-03-29 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://research.ie/; Written answers, Tuesday, 13 May 2014, Department of Education and Skills -Departmental Bodies Data | |
| National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission | 2001-04-02 | 2014-12-22 | Following the commencement of the relevant provisions of the National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2014, the NPRF‘s investment mandate ended on 22 December 2014 with the establishment of the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), to which NPRC's assets were transferred. | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.nprf.ie/; National Pensions Reserve Fund Act 2000; National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2014; S.I. No. 586/2014 |
| Medical Research Board | 1986-10-31 | 1987-01-01 | This body was created to take over from the Medical Research Council of Ireland when it was dissolved on 31 October 1986. It was merged into the newly formed Health Research Board shortly thereafter. | S.I. No. 371/1986; S.I. No. 451 & 452/1986 |
| Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland | 2002-05-01 | McGauran et al. 2005; Sustainable Energy Act 2002; http://www.sei.ie/ | ||
| Eolas | 1988-01-01 | 1994-01-01 | Created by merge of National Board for Science and Technology and the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards | Science and Technology Act, 1987; Industrial Development Act 1993 |
| Forbairt | 1994-01-01 | 1998-07-22 | Subsidiary body of Forfas; merged with Irish Trade Board to form Enterprise Ireland | Industrial Development Act 1993; Industrial Development (Enterprise Ireland) Act 1998 |
| Culture Ireland | 2005-02-01 | 2013-01-31 | Note: Plans announced in Feb 2007 to make Culture Ireland a statutory body never materialised. On 31 Jan. 2013, a Delegation Order delegated the functions of directing Culture Ireland to a Principal Officer within the Dept. of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. | http://www.cultureireland.ie/; Dept. of Public Expenditure and Reform 'Summary of agency rationalisation measures as at January 2014', Table B http://per.gov.ie/summary-of-agency-rationalisation-measures-as-at-january-2014/; Written answers, Thursday, 7 March 2013 - Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Departmental Appointments |
| An Chomhairle Oiliúna Talmhaíochta | 1979-07-20 | 1988-09-08 | Replaced and integrated the advisory services previously provided by the 27 county committees of agriculture and the education, the National Agricultural Authority & special advisory services of the Dept of Agriculture. Dissolved into Teagasc | Agriculture Act 1979; Agriculture (Research, Training and Advice) Act, 1988 |
| Area Development Management Ltd. | 1992-10-14 | 2005-07-01 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.pobal.ie/; Dáil Éireann - Volume 458 - 21 November, 1995--Written Answers. - Establishment of ADM; Dáil Éireann - Volume 663 - 14 October, 2008--Written Answers. - Departmental Agencies | |
| Pobal | 2005-07-01 | Previously known as Area Development Management Limited (est. in 1992): ADM was established following the second national social partnership agreement, the Programme for Economic and Social Progress (PESP), 1991-1993. In 2005 the company changed its name to Pobal | http://www.pobal.ie/; Dáil Éireann - Volume 663 - 14 October, 2008--Written Answers. - Departmental Agencies | |
| Dormant Accounts Board | 2006-01-04 | 2012-12-31 | Composed after the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board was dissolved--government was given discretion over accounts | Dormant Account Acts 2001 and 2005; Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2012 |
| Education Finance Board | 2006-02-17 | 2013-03-29 | The Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse (Amendment) Act 2005; Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012; S.I. No. 96/2013; Written Answers, Wednesday, 22 January 2014, No. 80 - Departmental Bodies Establishment | |
| Industrial Development Authority | 1949-05-01 | 1994-01-01 | Merged with Eolas to form Forfas and its subsidiaries (IDA Ireland and Forbairt) | Industrial Development Authority Act, 1950; Industrial Development Act, 1993 |
| An Foras Tionscal | 1952-01-01 | 1970-04-01 | Absorbed into Industrial Development Authority | Undeveloped Areas Act, 1952; Industrial Development Act, 1969 |
| Gaeltarra Éireann | 1958-04-01 | 1980-01-01 | Took over administration of Rural Industries previously administered by the Gaeltacht Services Division. Replaced by Údarás na Gaeltachta-1980 | Gaeltacht Industries Acts, 1957 to 1977; Údarás na Gaeltachta Act, 1979 |
| National Board for Science and Technology | 1978-04-05 | 1988-01-01 | Merged with Institute for Industrial Research and Standards to form Eolas | National Board For Science and Technology Act, 1977; S.I. No. 78/1978; Science and Technology Act, 1987 |
| Taiscí Stáit Teoranta | 1964-02-21 | 1972-03-28 | Became Foir Teoranta | Taiscí Stáit Teoranta Act 1963; Foir Teoranta Act, 1972; Dáil Éireann - Volume 226 - 15 February, 1967--Written Answers. - State-Sponsored Bodies |
| National Development Corporation Ltd | 1986-06-11 | 1991-12-30 | Replaced National Enterprise Agency; Absorbed by Industrial Development Authority | National Development Corporation Act, 1986; Industrial Development (Amendment) Act, 1991 |
| National Enterprise Agency, Ltd | 1980-05-16 | 1986-06-11 | Replaced by National Development Corporation | National Development Corporation Act, 1986; Dáil Éireann - Volume 322 - 24 June, 1980 - Written Answers. - National Enterprise Agency |
| National Heritage Council | 1988-09-05 | 1995-07-10 | Predecessor of Heritage Council | http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/ |
| Advisory Committee on Cultural Relations | 1949-01-01 | 2005-02-01 | Replaced by Culture Ireland | Dáil Éireann - Volume 127 - 21 November, 1951 - Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cultural Relations Committee; Dáil Debate - Vol. 647 No. 1, 13 Feb 2008 Q. 232 |
| Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge | 1952-09-05 | 2008-01-01 | Absorbed into Foras na Gaeilge; functions are now carried out under the name of Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge | http://www.gaeilge.ie/Foras_na_Gaeilge/Clar_na_Leabhar_Gaeilge.asp; 'Book Body Meets' the Irish Press, 5 Sept. 1952; http://www.educationmatters.ie/2007/10/31/irish-language-books-board-disbanded/ |
| Fóir Teoranta | 1972-03-28 | 1991-04-02 | Replaced Taiscí Stáit Teoranta in 1972; Absorbed into Industrial Credit Corporation Public Limited Company in 1991 | Fóir Teoranta Act, 1972; Foir Teoranta (Amendment) Act, 1973; Fóir Teoranta (Dissolution) Act, 1990 |
| An Bord Scoláireachtaí Cómalairte | 1957-12-23 | 1992-02-03 | Replaced by the Ireland - United States Commission for Educational Exchange (The Fulbright Commission) | Scholarship Exchange (Ireland and the United States of America) Act, 1957; the Educational Exchange (Ireland and the United States of America) Act, 1991; http://www.fulbright.ie/ |
| General Medical Services (Payments) Board | 1972-07-28 | 2005-01-01 | Became part of HSE | S.I. No. 184/1972; Health Act 2004 |
| Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board | 2002-06-05 | 2006-01-04 | Replaced by Dormant Accounts Board | McGauran et al. 2005; Dormant Account Acts 2001 and 2005 |
| National Committee for Development Education | 1994-06-30 | 2002-12-01 | Dáil Éireann - Volume 644 - 18 December, 2007 - Written Answers. - Departmental Agencies; http://web.archive.org/web/20011214234002/http://www.ncde.ie/index.html | |
| Irish Land Commission | 1881-08-22 | 1999-03-31 | Existed under various forms under British government since 1881; took on some of the functions of the Congested Districts Board under Land Law (Commission) Act, 1923 | Land Law (Ireland) Act 1881; Land Law (Commission) Act, 1923; Irish Land Commission (Dissolution) Act, 1992; S.I. No. 75/1999; Seanad Éireann - Volume 134 - 21 October, 1992--Irish Land Commission (Dissolution) Bill, 1989: Second Stage |
| Irish Sports Council | 1999-07-01 | 2015-10-01 | Dissolved, merged into Sport Ireland | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/; Irish Sports Council Act 1999; S.I. No. 173/1999; Sport Ireland Act 2015; S.I. No. 415/2015 |
| Agency for Personal Service Overseas | 1974-03-28 | 2004-01-01 | In 2004 APSO was merged into the Irish government’s Development Cooperation Ireland (DCI) office | Dáil Éireann - Volume 482 - 12 November, 1997--Written Answers. - Non-Commercial Agencies; Dáil Éireann - Volume 642 - 22 November, 2007--Written Answers. - Departmental Agencies; http://web.archive.org/web/20020331052250/http://www.apso.ie/; Listed in McGauran et al. 2005 |
| Flax Development Board, Ltd. | 1943-02-16 | 1949-04-07 | Dáil Éireann - Volume 94 - 14 June, 1944--Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - The Flax Board; Dáil Éireann - Volume 97 - 12 July, 1945--Written Answers. - State Companies; Dáil Éireann - Volume 119 - 15 March, 1950--Committee on Finance. - Flax Act, 1936 (Suspension) Bill, 1950—Committee Stage; 'Farming Since the Famine' CSO, 1997; 'Flax Board for Eire Set Up' Irish Times, 17 Feb. 1943; 'Flax Board Activities Come to End' Irish Independent, 7 April 1949 | |
| Special Employment Schemes Office | 1941-10-23 | 1967-03-01 | Responsibilities transferred to Dept of Local Government | Dáil Éireann - Volume 108 - 09 October, 1947 - Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - New Government Departments; Dáil Éireann - Volume 226 - 09 February, 1967 - Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Development and Improvement Schemes |
| National Development Education Grants Committee | 1989-01-01 | 1994-06-30 | Dáil Éireann - Volume 444 - 21 June, 1994 - Written Answers. - Development Education Support Centre | |
| National Hospital Trustees | 1933-10-03 | 1938-08-06 | Replaced by Hospitals Trust Board | Public Hospitals Act, 1933; Public Hospitals (Amendment) Act, 1938; Report dated 4th October in Irish Times of appointment of National Hospital Trustees |
| Irish Sea Fisheries Association Ltd | 1930-11-20 | 1952-04-24 | Dáil Éireann - Volume 37 - 26 February, 1931--Vote 54—Fisheries and Gaeltacht Services; Sea Fisheries Act, 1931; Hire-Purchase Act, 1946; Sea Fisheries Act 1952; Dáil Éireann - Volume 130 - 20 March, 1952--Committee on Finance. - Sea Fisheries Bill, 1952—Second Stage (Resumed) | |
| State Agencies Development Cooperation Organisation | 1979-05-25 | 1992-01-01 | First set up (Sept) 1975 as coordinating forum, did not have formal status until 1979, when it was registered with the CRO. | Seanad Éireann - Volume 89 - 31 May, 1978--Joint Committee on State-Sponsored Bodies: Motion. |
| Quit Rent Office | 1641-01-01 | 1943-01-01 | Absorbed into Irish Land Commission in 1943. | Dáil Éireann - Volume 70 - 30 March, 1938; Committee on Finance. - Vote 30—Quit Rent Office; Dáil Éireann - Volume 93 - 26 April, 1944--Estimates for Public Services. - Vote 52—Lands |
| Investor Compensation Company Ltd. | 1998-08-01 | Investor Compensation Act, 1998; Dáil Éireann - Volume 588 - 06 July, 2004--Written Answers. - Departmental Agencies; http://www.investorcompensation.ie/ | ||
| Irish Research Council | 2012-03-29 | The mission of the Irish Research Council is to enable and sustain a vibrant research community in Ireland. | http://www.research.ie/; 'New body sees value of research' Irish Times, 26 April 2012 | |
| An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh Agus Scileanna | 2013-10-27 | SOLAS was established to develop and give strategic direction to the Further Education and Training Sector in Ireland. | Further Education and Training Act 2013; http://www.solas.ie/ | |
| Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board | 2013-03-25 | The Board of the Fund oversees the use of cash contributions of up to €110m pledged by the religious congregations to support the needs of some 15,000 survivors of residential institutional child abuse | Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012; S.I. No. 95/2013; Written Answers, Wednesday, 22 January 2014, No. 80 - Departmental Bodies Establishment; http://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Agencies/Residential-Institutions-Statutory-Fund-Board.html; http://www.caranua.ie/ | |
| Congested Districts Board | 1891-08-05 | 1923-07-24 | Absorbed into Irish Land Commission in 1923 | Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act, 1891; Congested Districts Board (Ireland) Act 1899; Land Law (Commission) Act, 1923 |
| Student Universal Support Ireland | 2012-05-22 | Replaced the sixty-six local awarding authorities that existed previously. | http://www.susi.ie/; Student Support Act 2011; S.I. No. 161/2012 | |
| Social Finance Foundation | 2007-01-25 | In 2012, SFF was given responsibility for the administration of a Microfinance Loan Fund through their subsidiary Microfinance Ireland (Microenterprise Loan Fund Act 2012). | http://www.sff.ie/; Microenterprise Loan Fund Act 2012; CRO, company registration number 433581; Written answers, Wednesday, 12 February 2014, Department of Finance, Departmental Bodies | |
| Microfinance Ireland | 2012-09-27 | Microenterprise Loan Fund Act 2012; http://microfinanceireland.ie/; http://www.sff.ie/; CRO No. 516555 | ||
| Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime | 2005-03-01 | http://www.csvc.ie/; Written answers, Wednesday, 16 October 2013, Department of Justice and Equality, Departmental Funding | ||
| Ireland Newfoundland Partnership | 2001-04-01 | 2009-01-01 | Written Answers - Ireland Newfoundland Partnership, Tuesday, 2 November 2010, Dáil Éireann Debate, Vol. 720 No. 3; http://web.archive.org/web/20070217141232/http://www.inp.ie/; Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, Volume II: Detailed Papers | |
| Sport Ireland | 2015-10-01 | Replaced the Irish Sports Council and National Sports Development Authority | www.sportireland.ie/; Sport Ireland Act 2015 | |
| Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection | 2017-09-02 | 2020-10-21 | New Department created to replace Department of Social Protection (I). Subsequently replaced by Department of Social Protection (II). Employment Affairs responsibilities also moved to new Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment | S.I. No 366/2017, http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2017/si/366; S.I. No. 447/2020; S.I. No. 438/2020 |
| Ireland Strategic Investment Fund | 2014-12-22 | ISIF has a statutory mandate to invest on a commercial basis in a manner designed to support economic activity and employment in Ireland. Its predecessor was the National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF). | www.ntma.ie; www.isif.ie; National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2014; S.I. No. 586/2014 | |
| National Shared Services Office | 2018-01-01 | The National Shared Services Office (NSSO) is a Scheduled Body which is a Shared Services provider for HR, pensions and payroll administration for Government Departments and Bodies. | www.gov.ie; National Shared Services Office Act 2017; S.I. No. 579/2017 | |
| Home Building Finance Ireland | 2018-12-05 | www.hbfi.ie; Home Building Finance Ireland Act 2018; S.I. No. 518/2018 | ||
| Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland | 2014-09-12 | The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) was established in 2014 to avail of both national and international funding for the purpose of making low-cost credit available to Irish small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Credit is provided through on-lending partners who, in turn, lend directly to SMEs | Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Act 2014 (No 22 of 2014); https://sbci.gov.ie/about-us; https://core.cro.ie/e-commerce/company/582344 |