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.

The current Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is Simon Coveney, TD.

Historically, the agriculture portfolio has gone under a number of different names; the holder has often borne the title of simply Minister for Agriculture.

Contents

Overview

The Department's functions include:

List of office-holders

Director of Agriculture 1919–1921
No. Name Entered Office Left Office Party
1. Robert Barton 2 April 1919 26 August 1921 Sinn Féin

Secretary for Agriculture 1921–1922
No. Name Entered Office Left Office Party
2. Art O'Connor 26 August 1921 9 January 1922 Sinn Féin

Minister for Agriculture 1922–1924
No. Name Entered Office Left Office Party
3. Patrick Hogan 11 January 1922 2 June 1924 Cumann na nGaedheal

Minister for Lands and Agriculture 1924–1930
No. Name Entered Office Left Office Party
Patrick Hogan 2 June 1924 3 April 1930 Cumann na nGaedheal

Minister for Agriculture 1930–1965
No. Name Entered Office Left 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[1]
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 Entered Office Left 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 Entered Office Left 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 Entered Office Left 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 Entered Office Left 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 Entered Office Left 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 Entered Office Left Office Party
Joe Walsh (2nd time) 29 September 1999 6 June 2002 Fianna Fáil

Minister for Agriculture and Food 2002–2007
No. Name Entered Office Left 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 Entered Office Left 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 Entered Office Left Office Party
24. Simon Coveney 9 March 2011 Incumbent Fine Gael

See also

References

  1. ^ James Dillon resigned from Fine Gael in 1942 over his opposition to neutrality and rejoined the party only in 1953; however, he remained closely associated with Fine Gael in the intervening period.

External links

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Political posts
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Former ministries