The Current Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is Michael McDowell , TD . He is assisted by:
The Minister has overall responsibility for law and order in the Republic Of Ireland . The position was created in 1997 when the portfolio of the was amalgamated with that of the Minister For Equality And Law Reform . From 1919 until 1923 the holder of the justice portfolio was known as the "Minister for Home Affairs".
The Minister's and the Department's main areas of reponsibility include:
- Implementing government policy on crime and protecting the security of the State.
- Providing policy advice in relation to the criminal justice system ( Garda Síochána etc).
- Continuing reform of the criminal law and updating areas of the civil law.
- Implementation of core elements of the Good Friday Agreement .
- Implementation of the government's asylum strategy and development of the national immigration policy.
- Implementation of policy in relation to equal treatment, anti-racism, disability equality and human rights.
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| Name
| Took Office
| Left Office
| Party
|
|---|
| 1. | Michael Collins | January 22 , 1919 | April 1 , 1919 | Sinn Féin
| | 2. | Arthur Griffith | April 2 , 1919 | August 22 , 1921 | Sinn Féin
| | 3. | Austin Stack 1 | August 22 , 1921 | January 9 , 1922 | Sinn Féin
| | 4. | Eamonn Duggan | January 10 , 1922 | September 9 , 1922 | Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin
| | 5. | Kevin O'Higgins | August 30 , 1922 | September 19 , 1923 | Cumann Na NGaedhael
|
#
| Name
| Took Office
| Left Office
| Party
|
|---|
| Kevin O'Higgins | September 19 , 1923 | July 10 , 1927 | Cumann Na NGaedhael
| | 6. | W.T. Cosgrave | July 10 , 1927 | October 12 , 1927 | Cumann Na NGaedhael
| | 7. | James FitzGerald-Kenney | October 12 , 1927 | March 9 , 1932 | Cumann Na NGaedhael
| | 8. | James Geoghegan | March 9 , 1932 | February 8 , 1933 | Fianna Fáil
| | 9. | P.J. Ruttledge | February 8 , 1933 | September 8 , 1939 | Fianna Fáil
| | 10. | Gerald Boland ''(1st time)'' | September 8 , 1939 | February 18 , 1948 | Fianna Fáil
| | 11. | Seán MacEoin | February 18 , 1948 | March 7 , 1951 | Fine Gael
| | 12. | Daniel Morrissey | March 7 , 1951 | June 13 , 1951 | Fine Gael
| | . | Gerald Boland ''(2nd time)'' | June 13 , 1951 | June 2 , 1954 | Fianna Fáil
| | 10. | James Everett | June 2 , 1954 | March 20 , 1957 | Labour
| | 11. | Oscar Traynor | March 20 , 1957 | October 11 , 1961 | Fianna Fáil
| | 12. | Charles Haughey | October 11 , 1961 | October 8 , 1964 | Fianna Fáil
| | 13. | Sean Lemass ''(acting)'' | October 8 , 1964 | November 3 , 1964 | Fianna Fáil
| | 14. | Brian Lenihan | November 3 , 1964 | March 26 , 1968 | Fianna Fáil
| | 15. | Micheál Ó Móráin | March 27 , 1968 | May 5 , 1970 | Fianna Fáil
| | 16. | Desmond O'Malley | May , 1970 | March 14 , 1973 | Fianna Fáil
| | 17. | Patrick Cooney | March 14 , 1973 | July 5 , 1977 | Fine Gael
| | 18. | Gerard Collins ''(1st time)'' | July 5 , 1977 | June 30 , 1981 | Fianna Fáil
| | 19. | Jim Mitchell | June 30 , 1981 | March 9 , 1982 | Fine Gael
| | 20. | Seán Doherty | March 9 , 1982 | December 14 , 1982 | Fianna Fáil
| | 21. | Michael Noonan | December 14 , 1982 | February 14 , 1986 | Fine Gael
| | 22. | Alan Dukes | February 14 , 1986 | March 10 , 1987 | Fine Gael
| | Gerard Collins ''(2nd time)'' | March 10 , 1987 | July 12 , 1989 | Fianna Fáil
| | 23. | Ray Burke | July 12 , 1989 | February 11 , 1992 | Fianna Fáil
| | 24. | Pádraig Flynn | February 11 , 1992 | January 4 , 1993 | Fianna Fáil
| | 25. | Máire Geoghegan-Quinn ' | January 4 , 1993 | December 15 , 1994 | Fianna Fáil
| | 26. | Nora Owen | December 15 , 1994 | June 26 , 1997 | Fine Gael
| | 27. | John O'Donoghue | June 26 , 1997 | July 8 , 1997 | Fianna Fáil
|
#Austin Stack bore the title of ''Secretary of State for Home Affairs''.
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