Department store
3 January 2007 2:47 pmI was recently trawling through old Dail debates (the horror, the horror) and it struck me that very little has changed in decades in how the various government departments are organised.
The current list, with one or two obvious exceptions, wouldn’t have been out of place 50 years ago:
- Department of Agriculture and Food
- Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
- Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
- Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
- Department of Defence
- Department of Education and Science
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
- Department of Finance
- Department of Foreign Affairs
- Department of Health and Children
- Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
- Department of Social and Family Affairs
- Department of the Taoiseach
- Department of Transport.
I don’t believe the organising of government (regardless of hue) truly reflects the changed circumstances in Ireland today, so here’s my rejig:
- Agriculture and Marine
- Culture and Sport
- Communications
- Gaeltacht and Rural
- Defence
- Education
- Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Environment, Natural Resources and Heritage
- Local Government
- Finance
- International Relations
- Health, Community, Social, Family and Children
- Justice, Equality and Law Reform
- Science and Technology
- Taoiseach
- Transport
- Tourism
There’s an extra two departments in my list, but hey, we’re worth it.
Any suggestions?
January 3rd, 2007 at 8:45 pm
As one who has endured endlessly long official addresses , may I suggest all brevity where possible.
So if I may refine your list further
Agriculture and Marine
becomes
Rural and Marine
Culture and Sport
Culture?
Gaeltacht agus Gaeilge
Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Trade and Employment
Environment, Natural Resources and Heritage
Natural Resources and Heritage
Health, Community, Social, Family and Children
Health and Community
Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Justice
No doubt they could all be reduced to one word. That would be nice. By the way, in case you’re wondering why I deleted Environment, I think it is a natural resource.
January 3rd, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Well put Philip. Is that the poet in you wanting to reduce the departments to one word :-)
January 3rd, 2007 at 10:58 pm
Jeez guys, as if our agriculture and marine sectos weren’t in the doldrums enough, you seem eager to sound both their death knells by minimising their importance still further.
Food should have its own Department. You jackeens may not have noticed, but this is a high-quality nosh producing nation, one of the few indigenous sectors left.
January 4th, 2007 at 12:14 am
Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is the funniest by a long shot.
Philip said:
>>>
Culture and Sport
Culture?