Minister for Supplies

{{Short description|Former Irish government cabinet minister}}

{{confused|Ministry of Supply (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=December 2021}}

{{Infobox official post

|post = Minister for Supplies

|native_name = An tAire Soláthairtí

|insignia =

|image = File:Seán Lemass circa 1932.png

|imagesize = 200px

|department = Department of Supplies

|member_of = {{Ubl|Cabinet|Oireachtas}}

|reports_to = Taoiseach

|nominator = Taoiseach

|appointer = President of Ireland {{small|on the nomination of the Taoiseach}}

|formation = 8 September 1939

|abolished = 1 August 1945

|first = Seán Lemass

|last = Seán Lemass

}}

The Minister for Supplies ({{langx|ga|An tAire Soláthairtí}}) was created by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1939, to assist Ireland through World War II, or the Emergency, as it was referred to by the Government of Ireland.{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1939/act/36/section/2/enacted/en/html|title=Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1939, Section 2: The Department of Supplies|date=21 December 1939|access-date=14 August 2020|website=Irish Statute Book|archive-date=26 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226115627/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1939/act/36/section/2/enacted/en/html|url-status=live}} Although the legislation creating the new department was not passed until 21 December 1939, it was given retrospective effect, and was deemed to have come into force on 8 September 1939.{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1939/act/36/section/12/enacted/en/html|title=Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1939, Section 12: Commencement|date=21 December 1939|access-date=13 September 2019|website=Irish Statute Book|archive-date=26 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226125541/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1939/act/36/section/12/enacted/en/html|url-status=live}}

The Minister for Supplies was charged with controlling production, distribution and pricing of vital supplies during the Emergency. According to the historian Bryce Evans, Minister Seán Lemass introduced full rationing in Ireland 'too late', ensuring the black market trumped later state attempts at equitable distribution amid the British wartime supply squeeze.{{cite book|title=Farewell to Plato's Cave|first=Bryce|last=Evans|year=2014}} Earlier historians had pointed to Lemass's successes in stockpiling essential goods.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

The minister's functions were transferred to the Minister for Industry and Commerce on abolition of the office on 1 August 1945.{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1945/act/21/section/3/enacted/en/html|title=Minister For Supplies (Transfer of Functions) Act 1945, Section 3: Transfer of functions of Minister for Supplies and abolition of office|date=11 July 1945|access-date=13 September 2019|website=Irish Statute Book|archive-date=11 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011113222/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1945/act/21/section/3/enacted/en/html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1945/sro/171/made/en/print|title=Minister for Supplies (Transfer of Functions) Act 1945 (Appointed Day) Order 1945|date=20 July 1945|access-date=13 September 2019|website=Irish Statute Book|archive-date=27 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827144257/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1945/sro/171/made/en/print|url-status=live}} Lemass had been serving in both positions from 1941.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Name !colspan=2|Term of office !colspan=2|{{nowrap|Political party}} !Governments
{{nowrap|Seán Lemass}} |{{nowrap|8 September 1939}} |1 August 1945 | {{party name with colour|Fianna Fáil}} |2nd{{•}}3rd{{•}}4th