Department of Social Protection / EURES Ireland

The Department of Social Protection's mission is to promote active participation and inclusion in society through the provision of income supports, employment services and other services.

The department is the largest payment organisation in the State. It also operates the public employment service and directly funds a wide range of employment programmes and citizen advisory services.

The department's main functions are to:

• advise government and formulate appropriate social protection and social inclusion policies

• design, develop and deliver effective and cost efficient income supports, activation and employment services, advice to customers and other related services

• work towards providing seamless delivery of services in conjunction with other government departments, agencies and bodies

• control fraud and abuse within the social protection system

The department plays a key role in two of the major government policy domains – the distribution and re-distribution of income to assure social cohesion and equity of economic outcomes, and the efficient operation of the supply side of the labour market.

You can read more about the department's goals in the Statement of Strategy.