‘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
30 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 | |
| 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 |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Independent Radio and Television Commission | 1988-10-17 | 2001-09-01 | Replaced by Broadcasting Commission of Ireland | Radio and Television Act, 1988; Broadcasting Act, 2001 |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| Radio Éireann | 1960-06-01 | 1966-03-08 | Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960; S.I. No. 107/1960; Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Act, 1966 | |
| 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/ | |
| 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/ | |
| Broadcasting Complaints Commission | 1977-03-31 | 2009-10-01 | Merged 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 |
| Comhairle Radio Éireann | 1953-01-01 | 1960-05-31 | Replaced by Radio Éireann under the Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960. | Advisory Committee - Dáil Éireann - Volume 168 - 12 June, 1958, Written Answers. - State-sponsored Companies, Commissions, Committees and Advisory Councils; Dáil Éireann - Volume 179 - 24 February, 1960, Committee on Finance. - Broadcasting Authority Bill, 1959 [Seanad]—Second Stage; Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960 |
| 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 |
| 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/ | |
| Ministry for Publicity | 1922-01-11 | 1922-09-09 | Ministry seemingly discontinued from September 1922 | Chubb 1970; https://www.gov.ie/ga/foilsiuchan/99eec5-second-dail/ |
| Office of the Postmaster General | 1922-04-22 | 1924-06-02 | Replaced by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs under the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 (No. 16 of 1924) | Chubb 1970; Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 (No. 16 of 1924) |
| The Future of Media Commission | 2020-09-01 | 2022-07-12 | The Future of Media Commission was set up by the Government in September 2020 to examine the future of the media in Ireland. This includes Ireland’s public service broadcasters, commercial broadcasters, print and online media platforms. The Commission published its report in July 2022 | https://futureofmediacommission.ie/; https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/ccae8-report-of-the-future-of-media-commission/#:~:text=Established%20by%20Government%20in%20September,of%20delivering%20public%20service%20aims. |
| 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/ |