Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy (Irish: An tAire Aeráide, Comhshaoil agus Fuinnimh) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Climate, Environment and Energy.

Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy
Incumbent Darragh O'Brien since 23 January 2025
Department of Climate, Environment and Energy
Type	Environment minister Communications minister
Status	Cabinet minister
Member of	Government of Ireland Council of the European Union North/South Ministerial Council Dáil Éireann
Reports to	Taoiseach
Seat	Dublin, Ireland
Nominator	Taoiseach
Appointer	President of Ireland (on the advice of the Taoiseach)
Inaugural holder	Seán Etchingham as Director of Fisheries
Formation	26 August 1921
Salary	€210,750 (2025) (including €115,953 TD salary)[1]
Website	Official website

The Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy since January 2025^[update] is Darragh O'Brien, TD. He is also the Minister for Transport.

He is assisted by two Ministers of State:

• Alan Dillon, TD – Minister of State for the circular economy.
• Timmy Dooley, TD – Minister of State for the marine

List of office-holders

Director of Fisheries 1919–1921
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)[a]
Seán Etchingham	2 April 1919	26 August 1921		Sinn Féin	2nd DM
Secretary for Fisheries 1921–1922
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Seán Etchingham	26 August 1921	9 January 1922		Sinn Féin	3rd DM
Minister for Fisheries 1922–1928
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Fionán Lynch	14 December 1922	1 September 1928		Cumann na nGaedheal	1st EC • 2nd EC • 3rd EC • 4th EC
Minister for Lands and Fisheries 1928–1934
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Fionán Lynch	1 September 1928	9 March 1932		Cumann na nGaedheal	4th EC • 5th EC
P. J. Ruttledge	9 March 1932	8 February 1933		Fianna Fáil	6th EC
Joseph Connolly	8 February 1933	1 April 1934		Fianna Fáil	7th EC
Minister for Lands 1934–1977
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Joseph Connolly	1 April 1934	29 May 1936		Fianna Fáil	7th EC
Frank Aiken	3 June 1936	11 November 1936		Fianna Fáil	7th EC
Gerald Boland	11 November 1936	8 September 1939		Fianna Fáil	8th EC • 1st • 2nd
Thomas Derrig (1st time)	8 September 1939	2 July 1943		Fianna Fáil	2nd
Seán Moylan	2 July 1943	18 February 1948		Fianna Fáil	3rd • 4th
Joseph Blowick (1st time)	18 February 1948	7 March 1951		Clann na Talmhan	5th
Thomas Derrig (2nd time)	13 June 1951	2 June 1954		Fianna Fáil	6th
Joseph Blowick (2nd time)	2 June 1954	20 March 1957		Clann na Talmhan	7th
Erskine H. Childers	20 March 1957	23 July 1959		Fianna Fáil	8th • 9th
Mícheál Ó Móráin	23 July 1959	26 March 1968		Fianna Fáil	9th • 10th • 11th • 12th
Pádraig Faulkner	26 March 1968	2 July 1969		Fianna Fáil	12th
Seán Flanagan	2 July 1969	14 March 1973		Fianna Fáil	13th
Tom Fitzpatrick (1st time)	14 March 1973	2 December 1976		Fine Gael	14th
Paddy Donegan	2 December 1976	9 February 1977		Fine Gael	14th
Minister for Fisheries 1977–1978
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Paddy Donegan	9 February 1977	5 July 1977		Fine Gael	14th
Brian Lenihan	5 July 1977	15 July 1978		Fianna Fáil	15th
Minister for Fisheries and Forestry 1978–1986
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Brian Lenihan	15 July 1978	11 December 1979		Fianna Fáil	15th
Paddy Power	12 December 1979	30 June 1981		Fianna Fáil	16th
Tom Fitzpatrick (2nd time)	30 June 1981	9 March 1982		Fine Gael	17th
Brendan Daly (1st time)	9 March 1982	14 December 1982		Fianna Fáil	18th
Paddy O'Toole (1st time)	14 December 1982	14 February 1986		Fine Gael	19th
Liam Kavanagh	14 February 1986	19 February 1986		Labour	19th
Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry 1986–1987
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Liam Kavanagh	19 February 1986	20 January 1987		Labour	19th
Paddy O'Toole (2nd time)	20 January 1987	10 March 1987		Fine Gael	19th
Minister for the Marine 1987–1997
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Brendan Daly (2nd time)	10 March 1987	12 July 1989		Fianna Fáil	20th
John Wilson	12 July 1989	11 February 1992		Fianna Fáil	20th • 21st
Michael Woods (1st time)	11 February 1992	12 January 1993		Fianna Fáil	22nd
David Andrews[b]	12 January 1993	15 December 1994		Fianna Fáil	23rd
Hugh Coveney[b]	15 December 1994	23 May 1995		Fine Gael	24th
Seán Barrett[b]	23 May 1995	26 June 1997		Fine Gael	24th
Minister for Marine and Natural Resources 1997–2002
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Michael Woods (2nd time)	26 June 1997	27 January 2000		Fianna Fáil	25th
Frank Fahey	27 January 2000	6 June 2002		Fianna Fáil	25th
Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources 2002–2007
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Dermot Ahern	6 June 2002	29 September 2004		Fianna Fáil	26th
Noel Dempsey	29 September 2004	14 June 2007		Fianna Fáil	26th
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources 2007–2016
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Eamon Ryan	14 June 2007	23 January 2011		Green	27th • 28th
Pat Carey	23 January 2011	9 March 2011		Fianna Fáil	28th
Pat Rabbitte	9 March 2011	11 July 2014		Labour	29th
Alex White	11 July 2014	6 May 2016		Labour	29th
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment 2016–2020
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Denis Naughten	6 May 2016	11 October 2018		Independent	30th • 31st
Richard Bruton	11 October 2018	27 June 2020		Fine Gael	31st
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications 2020–2025
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Eamon Ryan[c] (2nd time)	27 June 2020	23 January 2025		Green	32nd • 33rd • 34th
Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy 2025–present
Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)
Darragh O'Brien	23 January 2025	Incumbent		Fianna Fáil	35th

Notes

1. Before 1937: DM – Dáil Ministry; EC – Executive Council.
2. Also Minister for Defence.
3. Also Minister for Transport.

See also

• Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (responsible for the Environment until 2016)
• Irish Land Commission