IPA Overview

A person wearing glassesDescription automatically generated with low confidenceMessage from the Director General, Ms. Helen Brophy

Welcome to the Institute of Public Administration. Our mission is to advance the understanding, standard and practice of public administration and public policy, supporting our public service to deliver on the complex challenges it faces. Under the aegis originally of the Department of Finance and, since 2011, the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform, the IPA has been supporting the development of public servants and the public sector in Ireland and abroad for almost sixty-five years.

The IPA is a Recognised College of NUI and differs from other educational providers in that it specialises in the public sector and adopts a multi-faceted approach – in addition to accredited third-level education, the Institute specialises in public sector training and development, consultancy and advisory services, commissioned research and publishing. This cross-sectoral approach ensures that the IPA applies a unique, whole-of-government perspective to its activities.

Almost sixty-five years on, the Institute has multiple specialist services to support and advise on different approaches to capacity building within the public sector. These services include Training, Development & Consultancy, and the Whitaker School – named after the late and esteemed public servant Dr T.K. Whitaker, incorporating the Education, Library, Research & Publications services. 

We look forward to welcoming you to our campus.

Helen Brophy
Director General

You can find more information on our specialist services on the links below.

Mailing List

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive regular emails about IPA courses, events, publications and news updates. You can unsubscribe at any time. For further information on how we use your data, please see our Privacy Statement.

Email