Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Incumbent Simon Coveney since 9 March 2011
Appointer	President of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach
Inaugural holder	Robert Barton as Director of Agriculture
Formation	2 April 1919
Website	www.agriculture.gov.ie

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Irish: An tAire Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara) is the senior minister at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the Government of Ireland. Historically, the agriculture portfolio has gone under a number of different names; the holder has often borne the title of simply Minister for Agriculture.

The current Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is Simon Coveney, TD. He is assisted by:

• Tom Hayes, TD – Minister of State for Food, Horticulture and Food Safety
• Ann Phelan, TD – Minister of State for Rural Economic Development and Rural Transport

Overview

The Department's functions include:

• Policy advice and development on all areas of departmental responsibility
• Representation in international especially European Union and national negotiations;
• Development and implementation of national and EU schemes in support of agriculture, food, fisheries, forestry and rural development.
• Monitoring and controlling aspects of food safety.
• Control and audit of public expenditure under its control.
• Regulation of the agriculture, fisheries and food industries through national and EU law.
• Monitoring and controlling animal and plant health and animal welfare.
• Monitoring and direction of state bodies engaged in the following areas:
  • Research training and advice.
  • Market development and promotion.
  • Industry regulation and development.
  • Commercial activities.
• Direct provision of support services to agriculture, food, fisheries and forestry.

List of office-holders

Director of Agriculture 1919–1921
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
1.	Robert Barton	2 April 1919	26 August 1921		Sinn Féin
Secretary for Agriculture 1921–1922
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
2.	Art O'Connor	26 August 1921	9 January 1922		Sinn Féin
Minister for Agriculture 1922–1924
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
3.	Patrick Hogan	11 January 1922	2 June 1924		Cumann na nGaedheal
Minister for Lands and Agriculture 1924–1930
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
	Patrick Hogan	2 June 1924	3 April 1930		Cumann na nGaedheal
Minister for Agriculture 1930–1965
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
	Patrick Hogan	3 April 1930	9 March 1932		Cumann na nGaedheal
4.	James Ryan	9 March 1932	21 January 1947		Fianna Fáil
5.	Paddy Smith (1st time)	21 January 1947	18 February 1948		Fianna Fáil
6.	James Dillon (1st time)	18 February 1948	13 June 1951		Independent
7.	Thomas Walsh	13 June 1951	2 June 1954		Fianna Fáil
	James Dillon (2nd time)	2 June 1954	20 March 1957		Fine Gael
8.	Frank Aiken (1st time)	20 March 1957	16 May 1957		Fianna Fáil
9.	Seán Moylan	16 May 1957	16 November 1957		Fianna Fáil
	Frank Aiken (2nd time)	16 November 1957	27 November 1957		Fianna Fáil
	Paddy Smith (2nd time)	27 November 1957	8 October 1964		Fianna Fáil
10.	Charles Haughey	8 October 1964	6 July 1965		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries 1965–1977
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
	Charles Haughey	6 July 1965	10 November 1966		Fianna Fáil
11.	Neil Blaney	10 November 1966	7 May 1970		Fianna Fáil
12.	Jim Gibbons (1st time)	7 May 1970	14 March 1973		Fianna Fáil
13.	Mark Clinton	14 March 1973	9 February 1977		Fine Gael
Minister for Agriculture 1977–1987
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
	Mark Clinton	9 February 1977	5 July 1977		Fine Gael
	Jim Gibbons (2nd time)	5 July 1977	11 December 1979		Fianna Fáil
14.	Ray MacSharry	12 December 1979	30 June 1981		Fianna Fáil
15.	Alan Dukes	30 June 1981	9 March 1982		Fine Gael
16.	Brian Lenihan	9 March 1982	14 December 1982		Fianna Fáil
17.	Austin Deasy	14 December 1982	10 March 1987		Fine Gael
18.	Michael O'Kennedy	10 March 1987	31 March 1987		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Agriculture and Food 1987–1993
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
	Michael O'Kennedy	31 March 1987	14 November 1991		Fianna Fáil
19.	Michael Woods	14 November 1991	11 February 1992		Fianna Fáil
20.	Joe Walsh (1st time)	11 February 1992	21 January 1993		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry 1993–1997
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
	Joe Walsh (1st time)	21 January 1993	15 December 1994		Fianna Fáil
21.	Ivan Yates	15 December 1994	26 June 1997		Fine Gael
	Joe Walsh (2nd time)	26 June 1997	12 July 1997		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Agriculture and Food 1997–1999
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
	Joe Walsh (2nd time)	12 July 1997	27 September 1999		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development 1999–2002
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
	Joe Walsh (2nd time)	29 September 1999	6 June 2002		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Agriculture and Food 2002–2007
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
	Joe Walsh (2nd time)	6 June 2002	29 September 2004		Fianna Fáil
22.	Mary Coughlan	29 September 2004	14 June 2007		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 2007–2011
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
	Mary Coughlan	14 June 2007	7 May 2008		Fianna Fáil
23.	Brendan Smith	7 May 2008	9 March 2011		Fianna Fáil
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 2011–present
No.	Name	Term of office		Party
24.	Simon Coveney	9 March 2011	Incumbent		Fine Gael

See also

• Irish cabinets since 1919

External links

• Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine