The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are at Marlborough Street, Dublin.

The departmental team consists of the following: Chief among the department's priorities are: In the revolutionary period, the position was first established as the Minister for Irish.

[5][6] It was provided a statutory basis by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, passed soon after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.

This act provided it with:[7] the administration and business generally of public services in connection with Education, including primary, secondary and university education, vocational and technical training, endowed schools, reformatories, and industrial schools, and all powers, duties and functions connected with the same, and shall include in particular the business, powers, duties and functions of the branches and officers of the public services specified in the Fourth Part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled, an t-Aire Oideachais or (in English) the Minister for Education.It also assigned it with the following agencies:[8] In the early years of the state, the main focus was on running the National School primary system.

The department's headquarters were situated within the grounds of Tyrone House, Dublin in what was formerly the home of the National Education Commissioners.