The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in Áras Mhic Dhiarmada, Store Street, Dublin.

The departmental team consists of the following: In carrying out its mandate the department undertakes a variety of functions including: The department formulates appropriate social protection policies and administers and manages the delivery of statutory and non-statutory schemes and services.

Payments are generally divided into three groups: The department provides its services through a network of 126 Intreo Centres and Branch Offices throughout the State and, increasingly, through its Mywelfare.ie portal.

[2] In August 2019, the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) found the Department of Social Protection's processing of personal data during the issuing of Public Services Cards (PSC) for use in transactions between a person and a public body other than the department itself to be illegal.

The commission also found that the blanket and indefinite retention of documents and information provided by people applying for a Public Services Card violate data protection law.