Bodies under the aegis of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality

The public bodies funded through the department’s Vote and for which the Secretary General is the Accounting Officer, are as follows:

• the Child and Family Agency ('Tusla'), established in January 2014 under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013
• the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI), established in November 2010 under the Adoption Act 2010
• the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO), established in 2004 under the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002
• the Oberstown Children Detention Campus, established under the Children Act 2001
• the National Disability Authority (NDA)

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) is an independent public body that accounts to the Oireachtas, with a mandate established under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 (IHREC Act 2014).

The department also provides the primary source of funding for Gaisce, the President’s Award. Gaisce is a limited company set up under the Companies Acts. Good governance ensures openness, effective public consultation processes and comprehensive engagement with domestic and international stakeholders.