Government of Ireland - Department of Finance

The Department of Finance is responsible for ".... the administration and business generally of the public finance of Ireland and all powers, duties and functions connected with the same, including in particular, the collection and expenditure of the revenues of Ireland from whatever source arising...." Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924. A government order - the Economic Planning and Development (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1980 - allocated additional functions to the Department of Finance. These functions are principally to promote and coordinate economic and social planning, including sectoral and regional planning, to identify development policies, to review the methods adopted by departments of state to implement such policies and generally to advise the government on economic and social planning matters. Under a government order of March 1987, the functions of the former Department of the Public Service were also transferred to the Department of Finance.

The work of the Department of Finance is distributed between four Divisions:-

Financial Services Division (FSD)
Budget Taxation and Economic Division (BTED)
Sectoral Policy Division (SPD)
Public Services Management and Development (PSMD)

Secretary General: Kevin Cardiff

Secretary General (PSMD): Ciarán Connolly

Financial Services Division

Assistant Secretary William Beausang

Ann Nolan

This Division deals with policy and legislation on the regulation of the financial services sector and the stability of the financial system, both prudential and consumer aspects, and international co-operation in related areas; the development of EU policy and legislation for the financial services sector, including the transposition of EU directives; international financial services; and relations with the Central Bank and financial Services Authority of Ireland.

Budget, Taxation and Economic Division

Second Secretary Jim O'Brien

Assistant Secretaries Michael J McGrath

Derek Moran

Director Carmel Keane

This Division deals with overall budgetary policy; economic policy and forecasting; taxation Policy, including the development of efficient and effective taxation policies which support and promote the Government’s economic, social and environmental objectives; co-ordination of EU policy; servicing ECOFIN, Eurogroup and their committees; the EU Budget and future EU financing; drawdown of EU Structural and Cohesion Funds; the establishment of the Strategic Framework for the 2007-2013 funding round; North/South co-operation; servicing EU and OECD committees on budgetary and economic co-operation; Ireland's membership of international financial institutions (IMF, World Bank, EIB and other multilateral development banks); superannuation policy in the public service and co-ordination of pension matterswithin the Department; debt management policy and related statistics; financial management and government accounting policy; co-ordination and implementation of the Management Information Framework; and accounting, payroll, banking and financial services for various Departments and Offices.

Sectoral Policy Division

Second Secretary Donal McNally

Assistant Secretaries John C O'Connell

David Moloney

Robert Watt

Director Eamon Kearns

Sectoral Policy Division deals with sectoral policy advice and formulation in conjunction with the responsible departments; public expenditure management issues, including the Annual Estimates, Annual Output statements and the multi-annual capital investment process; infrastructural investment and the National Development Plan; the elaboration of Frameworks and guidance to promote better value for money; aspects of policy in relation to commercial state bobies; policy on public-private partnerships; enviromental policy; civil service organisational issues such as structures, staff numbers and administrative budgets; superannuation policy in the Public Service and co-ordination of pension matters within the Department and policy on Government contracts, e-procurement and the National Lottery.

Public Service Management and Development Division

Assistant Secretaries Brendan Duffy

Michael Errity

Jim Duffy

Director Patricia Coleman

This Division deals with public service modernisation, public service pay and conditions and public service policy on HR, equality, recruitment and promotions, mobility and redeployment, ethics, freedom of information, decentraliation, IT, e-Government, telecommunications policy, Civil Service Training Centre and Language training.