:Department of Rural and Community Development

{{Infobox government agency

|agency_name = Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht

|type = Department

|image = Irish Department of Rural and Community Development.png

|logo_width =

|logo_caption =

|seal =

|seal_width = 80px

|seal_caption =

|formed = 19 July 2017

|preceding2 =

|dissolved =

|superseding =

|jurisdiction = Government of Ireland

|headquarters = Leinster Street South, Dublin

|coordinates =

|employees =

|budget =

|minister1_name = Dara Calleary

|minister1_pfo =
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht

|chief1_name = Mary Hurley

|chief1_position =
Secretary General

|child1_agency =

|website = {{official website}}

|footnotes =

}}

The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht ({{langx|ga|An Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe, Pobail agus Gaeltachta}}) is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.

Departmental team

The headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are on Leinster Street South, Dublin. The departmental team consists of the following:

Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht: Dara Calleary, TD
Minister of State for community development, charities, Gaeltacht and the islands: Jerry Buttimer, TD
Secretary General of the Department: Mary Hurley{{cite web |title=Gov.ie – Department of Rural and Community Development |url=https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-rural-and-community-development/ |website=gov.ie |accessdate=24 May 2022}}

Agencies

Agencies and bodies under the department:

Western Development Commission
POBAL
Water Safety Ireland
Charities Regulator

Schemes

Rural: Town and Village Renewal scheme, Rural Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, Rural Walks Scheme, Rural Development Fund, CLÁR, LEADER programme, Tidy Towns competition, Dormant Accounts Fund (also supporting disadvantaged urban communities).

Community: Social Inclusion and Community Programme, Community Facilities Scheme, Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development (RAPID) Programme, Libraries Investment Programme, Seniors Alert Scheme, Community and Voluntary Supports Programme, National Organisations Supports Programme, PEACE Programme.

History

The Department of Rural and Community Development was created by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2017 as part of the reorganisation of governmental departments in the government of Leo Varadkar. The divisions had previously existed within the same department between 2002 and 2010 in the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

=Transfer of functions=

class="wikitable"
Date ! Change
19 July 2017 \|Establishment of the Department of Rural and Community Development{{Cite ISB\|year=2017\|num=18\|title=Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2017\|date=19 July 2017\|access-date=13 September 2019}}
26 July 2017 \|Transfer of Charities from the Department of Justice and Equality{{Cite ISB\|year=2017\|type=si\|num=348\|title=Charities (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017\|date=26 July 2017\|access-date=18 July 2020}}
27 July 2017 \|Transfer of Rural Affairs from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs{{Cite ISB\|year=2017\|type=si\|num=354\|title=Rural Affairs (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017\|date=26 July 2017\|access-date=13 September 2019}}
27 July 2017 \|Transfer of Community Development from the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government{{Cite ISB\|year=2017\|type=si\|num=357\|title=Community Development (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017\|date=26 July 2017\|access-date=13 September 2019}}
1 January 2018 \|Transfer of Community Services Programme from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection{{Cite ISB\|year=2017\|type=si\|num=578\|title=Community Services Programme (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017\|date=12 December 2017\|access-date=21 September 2020}}
1 June 2018 \|Transfer of Water Safety from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government{{Cite ISB\|year=2018\|type=si\|num=165\|title=Community Development (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2018\|date=15 May 2018\|access-date=16 September 2020}}
23 September 2020 \|Transfer of Islands from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht{{Cite ISB\|year=2020\|type=si\|num=379\|title=Islands (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020\|date=22 September 2020\|access-date=9 October 2020}}
1 June 2025 \|Transfer of Irish Language and the Gaeltacht from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media{{cite ISB\|year=2025\|type=si\|num=175\|title=Irish Language and the Gaeltacht (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025\|date=6 May 2025\|access-date=12 May 2025}}
2 June 2025 \|Renamed as the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht{{cite ISB\|year=2025\|type=si\|num=173\|title=Rural and Community Development (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2025\|date=6 May 2025\|access-date=12 May 2025}}

class="wikitable"

Date

! Change

19 July 2017

|Establishment of the Department of Rural and Community Development{{Cite ISB|year=2017|num=18|title=Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2017|date=19 July 2017|access-date=13 September 2019}}

26 July 2017

|Transfer of Charities from the Department of Justice and Equality{{Cite ISB|year=2017|type=si|num=348|title=Charities (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017|date=26 July 2017|access-date=18 July 2020}}

27 July 2017

|Transfer of Rural Affairs from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs{{Cite ISB|year=2017|type=si|num=354|title=Rural Affairs (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017|date=26 July 2017|access-date=13 September 2019}}

27 July 2017

|Transfer of Community Development from the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government{{Cite ISB|year=2017|type=si|num=357|title=Community Development (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017|date=26 July 2017|access-date=13 September 2019}}

1 January 2018

|Transfer of Community Services Programme from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection{{Cite ISB|year=2017|type=si|num=578|title=Community Services Programme (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017|date=12 December 2017|access-date=21 September 2020}}

1 June 2018

|Transfer of Water Safety from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government{{Cite ISB|year=2018|type=si|num=165|title=Community Development (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2018|date=15 May 2018|access-date=16 September 2020}}

23 September 2020

|Transfer of Islands from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht{{Cite ISB|year=2020|type=si|num=379|title=Islands (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020|date=22 September 2020|access-date=9 October 2020}}

1 June 2025

|Transfer of Irish Language and the Gaeltacht from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media{{cite ISB|year=2025|type=si|num=175|title=Irish Language and the Gaeltacht (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025|date=6 May 2025|access-date=12 May 2025}}

2 June 2025

|Renamed as the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht{{cite ISB|year=2025|type=si|num=173|title=Rural and Community Development (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2025|date=6 May 2025|access-date=12 May 2025}}

References

External links

{{official website}}

Rural and Community Development

Category:Ministries established in 2017

Category:2017 establishments in Ireland

Category:Department of Rural and Community Development

Ireland