The Minister of State for Children was a junior ministerial

Minister of State (Ireland)

A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....

 post in the Departments of Health and Children, Justice and Law Reform and Education and Skills of the Government of Ireland. The Minister of State worked together with the various senior Ministers in these departments and had special responsibility for children's affairs. The Minister of State did not hold cabinet

Cabinet (government)

A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...

 rank, however, the minister attended cabinet meetings and was known as a "superjunior".

The position was created on 20 December 1994. It was abolished in March 2011 with the creation of the full cabinet position of Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

Minister of State for Children 1994–2011

No.	Name	Entered Office	Left Office	Party
1.	Austin Currie Austin Currie Austin Currie is a former politician who was elected to the parliaments of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland....	20 December 1994	26 June 1997		Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
2.	Frank Fahey Frank Fahey Frank Fahey is a property developer and former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Galway West constituency.-Life before politics:...	8 July 1997	1 February 2000		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
3.	Mary Hanafin Mary Hanafin Mary Hanafin is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who was a Teachta Dála for Dún Laoghaire from 1997 to 2011. She served as Government Chief Whip , Minister for Education and Science , Minister for Social and Family Affairs , Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport and Minister for Enterprise,...	1 February 2000	6 June 2002		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
4.	Brian Lenihan Brian Lenihan, Jnr Brian Joseph Lenihan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and barrister who served in the government of Ireland as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform from 2007 to 2008 and as Minister for Finance from 2008 to 2011...	19 June 2002	14 June 2007		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
5.	Brendan Smith Brendan Smith (politician) Brendan Smith is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency since 1992. He previously served as the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister for Justice and Law Reform .Born in Cavan in 1956, Smith was educated at Bawnboy...	20 June 2007	7 May 2008		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
6.	Barry Andrews	7 May 2008	9 March 2011		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...