The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment.

The county administration is headed by a chief executive, Robert Burns.

[2][3] Monaghan County Council has two representatives on the Northern and Western Regional Assembly where they are part of the Border Strategic Planning Area Committee.

[4] Members of Monaghan County Council are elected for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).

County Monaghan is divided into LEAs and municipal districts, defined by electoral divisions.