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Central Government

Central Government

Online ISSN: 2811-6186
CSO statistical publication, , 11am

Note: Figure 3.1 was amended on 26 April 2023 to correct an error relating to the total number of entities under two sectors, the Commercial Non-Financial Corporations and Commercial Financial Corporations in the Department of Finance and Department of Transport.

Additionally, Table 1.1 was amended to remove duplication of data entries and provide an update to NACE codes. Tables 3.1, 3.6, 3.7 and 3.10 were amended to provide an update of NACE codes, parent entity and sector classification, and to remove a duplicate entry.  Further details are provided in a footnote within the tables.

The central government sector (S.1311) includes all bodies established through political processes and for whose activities a Minister of government or other responsible person is accountable to the people through the Oireachtas. This responsibility extends to the presentation of detailed audited annual accounts to the Oireachtas. Central government includes legislative, judicial and executive bodies established in this manner. The sector does not include public corporations or enterprises engaged in the production of commercial services or goods. The main categories of central government bodies are:

  • Departments of State including any additional voted expenditure under the aegis of the Minister; 
  • Extra-Budgetary Funds for which separate accounts are maintained and which are directly administered by departments; and
  • Bodies which are not departments but which are funded almost entirely from the Exchequer, are subject to controls and may be regarded as extensions of government departments.

An annual survey of all government departments is conducted jointly by the CSO and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.  This survey updates the central government information set out in the tables below.

See Background Notes for more information.

A complete list of the Register is available on the Register of Public Sector Bodies - Provisional Table 1.1 (XLS 50KB) . Figure 2.1 in the Public Sector chapter displays a breakdown of the Register by subsector.

A CSV file is also available on the Register of Public Sector Bodies - Provisional Table 1.1 csv file.

Department of State, Vote Groups and Extra-Budgetary Funds

An annual survey of all central government departments is undertaken jointly by the CSO and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

This survey updates the entity listings. It also obtains extra information required to establish the statistical classification of all bodies under the aegis of these government units. 

Departments, Additional Votes, Extra-Budgetary Funds, Non-commercial Agencies and Commercial Agencies are shown in the following tables.

Figure 3.1 provides a NACE economic activity breakdown of all Additional Votes, Extra-Budgetary Funds, Non-commercial Agencies and Commercial Agencies under the aegis of all central government departments, totalling 635 bodies. 

X-axis labelVoteExtra-Budgetary Funds Non-Commercial Agencies under the aegis of the Department Commercial Non-Financial Corporations under the aegis of the Department Commercial Financial Corporations under the aegis of the Department Social Security Funds
Agriculture, Food and the Marine121120nullnull
Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth2null6nullnullnull
Defence2null3nullnullnull
Education1225nullnullnull
Enterprise, Trade and Employment1null111nullnull
Environment, Climate and Communications12121522null
Finance41819451null
Foreign Affairs2nullnullnullnullnull
Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science11167nullnull
Health127785null
Housing, Local Government and Heritage32184nullnull
Justice6null18nullnullnull
Public Expenditure and Reform14null22null2
Rural and Community Development144nullnullnull
Social Protection1null3nullnull1
Taoiseach6null2nullnullnull
Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media1null239nullnull
Transport1null9272null
Table 3.1 Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine

Table 3.2 Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Table 3.3 Department of Defence

Table 3.4 Department of Education

Table 3.5 Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Table 3.6 Department of Environment, Climate and Communications

Table 3.7 Department of Finance

Table 3.8 Department of Foreign Affairs

Table 3.9 Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

Table 3.10 Department of Health

Table 3.11 Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Table 3.12 Department of Justice

Table 3.13 Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Table 3.14 Department of Rural and Community Development

Table 3.15 Department of Social Protection

Table 3.16 Department of the Taoiseach

Table 3.17 Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

Table 3.18 Department of Transport