Minister for Defence
Incumbent
Micheál Martin
since 17 December 2022
Department of Defence
Member of
SeatNewbridge, County Kildare, Ireland
NominatorTaoiseach
AppointerPresident of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach
Inaugural holderRichard Mulcahy
Formation22 January 1919
WebsiteDepartment of Defence

The Minister for Defence (Irish: An tAire Cosanta) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Defence. The current Minister for Defence is Micheál Martin, TD.[1] He is also Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The department is responsible for the Irish Defence Forces. The Ministers and Secretaries Acts 1924 assigned the minister the additional title of Commander-in-Chief as the Chairman of the Council of Defence. The Defence Act 1954 removed this title, as a result of the reconstitution of the Council of Defence. The President of Ireland, a largely ceremonial role, is considered the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces.[2] In practice, the Minister acts on the President's behalf and reports to the Irish Government. The Minister for Defence is advised by the Council of Defence on the business of the Department of Defence.[3]

The Minister is assisted by the Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Peter Burke, TD.

Ministers for Defence since 1919

  Denotes acting Minister
Name Term of office Party Government(s)[lower-alpha 1]
Richard Mulcahy[lower-alpha 2] (1st time) 22 January 1919 1 April 1919 Sinn Féin 1st DM
Cathal Brugha[lower-alpha 3] 1 April 1919 9 January 1922 Sinn Féin 2nd DM  3rd DM
Richard Mulcahy (2nd time) 10 January 1922 19 March 1924 Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) 4th DM  1st PG  2nd PG  5th DM 
1st EC  2nd EC
W. T. Cosgrave (acting)[lower-alpha 4] 20 March 1924 21 November 1924 Cumann na nGaedheal 2nd EC
Peter Hughes 21 November 1924 23 June 1927 Cumann na nGaedheal 2nd EC
Desmond FitzGerald 23 June 1927 9 March 1932 Cumann na nGaedheal 3rd EC  4th EC  5th EC
Frank Aiken 9 March 1932 8 September 1939 Fianna Fáil 6th EC  7th EC  8th EC  1st  2nd
Oscar Traynor (1st time) 8 September 1939 18 February 1948 Fianna Fáil 2nd  3rd  4th
Thomas F. O'Higgins 18 February 1948 7 March 1951 Fine Gael 5th
Seán Mac Eoin (1st time) 7 March 1951 13 June 1951 Fine Gael 5th
Oscar Traynor (2nd time) 13 June 1951 2 June 1954 Fianna Fáil 6th
Seán Mac Eoin (2nd time) 2 June 1954 20 March 1957 Fine Gael 7th
Kevin Boland 20 March 1957 11 October 1961 Fianna Fáil 8th  9th
Gerald Bartley 11 October 1961 21 April 1965 Fianna Fáil 10th
Michael Hilliard 21 April 1965 2 July 1969 Fianna Fáil 11th  12th
Jim Gibbons 2 July 1969 9 May 1970 Fianna Fáil 13th
Jerry Cronin 9 May 1970 14 March 1973 Fianna Fáil 13th
Paddy Donegan 14 March 1973 2 December 1976 Fine Gael 14th
Liam Cosgrave (acting)[lower-alpha 5] 2 December 1976 16 December 1976 Fine Gael 14th
Oliver J. Flanagan 16 December 1976 5 July 1977 Fine Gael 14th
Bobby Molloy 5 July 1977 11 December 1979 Fianna Fáil 15th
Pádraig Faulkner 12 December 1979 15 October 1980 Fianna Fáil 16th
Sylvester Barrett 15 October 1980 30 June 1981 Fianna Fáil 16th
James Tully 30 June 1981 9 March 1982 Labour 17th
Paddy Power 9 March 1982 14 December 1982 Fianna Fáil 18th
Patrick Cooney 14 December 1982 14 February 1986 Fine Gael 19th
Paddy O'Toole 14 February 1986 10 March 1987 Fine Gael 19th
Michael J. Noonan 10 March 1987 12 July 1989 Fianna Fáil 20th
Brian Lenihan 12 July 1989 31 October 1990 Fianna Fáil 21st
Charles Haughey (acting)[lower-alpha 5] 1 November 1990 5 February 1991 Fianna Fáil 21st
Brendan Daly 5 February 1991 14 November 1991 Fianna Fáil 21st
Vincent Brady 14 November 1991 11 February 1992 Fianna Fáil 21st
John Wilson 11 February 1992 12 January 1993 Fianna Fáil 22nd
David Andrews[lower-alpha 6] (1st time) 12 January 1993 15 December 1994 Fianna Fáil 23rd
Hugh Coveney[lower-alpha 6] 15 December 1994 23 May 1995 Fine Gael 24th
Seán Barrett[lower-alpha 6] 23 May 1995 26 June 1997 Fine Gael 24th
David Andrews (2nd time) 26 June 1997 8 October 1997 Fianna Fáil 25th
Michael Smith 8 October 1997 29 September 2004 Fianna Fáil 25th  26th
Willie O'Dea 29 September 2004 18 February 2010 Fianna Fáil 26th  27th  28th
Brian Cowen (acting)[lower-alpha 5] 18 February 2010 23 March 2010 Fianna Fáil 28th
Tony Killeen 23 March 2010 19 January 2011 Fianna Fáil 28th
Éamon Ó Cuív[lower-alpha 7] 20 January 2011 9 March 2011 Fianna Fáil 28th
Alan Shatter[lower-alpha 8] 9 March 2011 7 May 2014 Fine Gael 29th
Enda Kenny (acting)[lower-alpha 5] 7 May 2014 11 July 2014 Fine Gael 29th
Simon Coveney[lower-alpha 9] (1st time) 11 July 2014 6 May 2016 Fine Gael 29th
Enda Kenny[lower-alpha 5] 6 May 2016 14 June 2017 Fine Gael 30th
Leo Varadkar[lower-alpha 5] 14 June 2017 27 June 2020 Fine Gael 31st
Simon Coveney[lower-alpha 10] (2nd time) 27 June 2020 17 December 2022 Fine Gael 32nd
Micheál Martin[lower-alpha 11] 17 December 2022 Incumbent Fianna Fáil 33rd
Notes

See also

References

  1. "List of Ministers and Ministers of State". Government of Ireland. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  2. Defence Act (No. 18 of 1954). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
  3. Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, s. 8: Constitution of the Council of Defence (No. 16 of 1924, s. 8), "the Minister for Defence [...] shall be assisted by a Council of Defence". Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 June 2020.
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