Department of Social Protection to get new name

Ronan McGreevy

The Department of Social Protection is to get a new name to reflect its enhanced role.

It will be known from Saturday as the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. It will also have a new logo.

The name change reflects the transfer of functions from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to the new department.

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These include it taking the lead on employment rights policy and legislation, taking responsibility for 11 primary acts governing employment rights in Ireland and related policy issues.

It will also lead on the Low Pay Commission, established to make recommendations annually to the Minister on the appropriate level of the national minimum wage and related areas.

The national minimum wage will also come under the scope of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

In addition, the expanded department will be responsible for implementing EU employment law in Ireland and will have a lead role in co-ordinating the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council and the Employment Committee and EU Semester process.

The department declined to say how much the rebranding will cost and said its current stationery will continue to be used until it is used up.

A statement said the rebranding cost will be “relatively minor”.