Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin. The departmental team consists of the following:^[2]

• Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Martin Heydon, TD
  • Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for food promotion, new markets, research and development: Noel Grealish, TD
  • Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for the marine: Timmy Dooley, TD. Dooley is also a Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.
• Secretary General of the Department: Brendan Gleeson

The department has the following divisions:^[3]

• Seafood & Marine
• Chief Veterinary Officer, One Health, One Welfare
• Chief Inspector, Environment
• Chief Financial Officer, Governance
• Direct Payments Division
• Agri-Environment, Rural Development and Forestry
• HR and Corporate Affairs
• Chief Information Officer and Head of Operations, Information Management and Technology
• Agri-Food Sectoral Policy and Strategy Development
• Head of Laboratories, One Health
• EU/UK and International Affairs

In carrying out its mandate, the department undertakes a variety of functions including:

• 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, food industries and forestry 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.

In 2017, Joe Healy, the Irish Farmers' Association president, expressed the view that since the UK is Ireland's main trading partner, Brexit could have a "frightening impact" on Ireland's agri-food sector. The UK was the market for 50 per cent, or 270,000 tonnes, of Irish beef exports and if the World Trade Organization (WTO) tariff rates were implemented they would "virtually wipe out" agri-food trade to Britain.^[4]

The following bodies are under the aegis of the department:^[5]

• An Rialálaí Agraibhia (Agri-Food Regulator)
• Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board
• Bord Bia
• Greyhound Racing Ireland
• Bord Iascaigh Mhara
• Coillte
• Horse Racing Ireland
• Irish National Stud
• Marine Institute
• National Milk Agency
• Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA)
• Teagasc
• Veterinary Council of Ireland

In 1899, Horace Plunkett established the Department's forerunner, called the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland (DATI). Plunkett served as the department's first vice-president, and T. P. Gill as its first Secretary.

The Department of Agriculture was created as a department of the Ministry of Dáil Éireann at one of the first meetings of Dáil Éireann in 1919 with Robert Barton as the first Minister for Agriculture.^[6]

It was given a statutory basis by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924. This act provided it with:^[7]

the administration and business generally of public services in connection with agriculture and lands, including the fixing of rents and tenure of lands, acquisition by occupying tenants of full ownership by means of public funds, enlargement and other economic improvement of holdings of land, purchase of land for distribution by way of re-sale, relief of rural congestion and like uneconomic conditions, promotion of agriculture by means of educational grants, and of lectures on special subjects, agricultural statistics, forestry, veterinary services, survey and mapping of land, and all powers, duties and functions connected with the same, and shall include in particular the business, powers, duties and functions of the branches and officers of the public services specified in the Fifth Part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled, an t-Aire Tailte agus Talmhaíochta or (in English) the Minister for Lands and Agriculture.

It assigned it with the following branches of administration:^[8]

• The Irish Land Commission (including the late Congested District Board for Ireland—Agricultural and Land Branches).
• The Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland (except the business and functions relating to Fisheries and Technical Instruction).
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries except so far as concerned with the Ordnance Survey.
• The Royal Veterinary College of Ireland.
• The Public Trustee in Ireland.
• The Forestry Commission.
• Farm Institutes of or controlled by Government.
• Royal Botanic Gardens.