Minister for Social Protection

Minister for Social Protection
Incumbent Leo Varadkar since 6 May 2016
Appointer	President of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach
Inaugural holder	James Ryan as Minister for Social Welfare
Formation	22 January 1947
Website	www.welfare.ie

The Minister for Social Protection (Irish: An tAire Coimirce Sóisialaí) is the senior minister at the Department of Social Protection in the Government of Ireland.

The current Minister for Social Protection is Leo Varadkar, TD. He is assisted by:

The Department was formed in 1947 as the Department of Social Welfare. Its present title dates from 23 March 2010. The Department formulates appropriate social protection policies and administers and manages the delivery of statutory and non-statutory schemes and services. It is also responsible for the delivery of a range of social insurance and social assistance schemes including provision for unemployment, illness, maternity, caring, widowhood, retirement and old age.

An asterisk (*) indicates those ministers who held the Health and Social Welfare portfolios simultaneously.