Minister for Defence (Ireland)

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 Simon Harris, TD.^[3] He is also Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Department of Defence headquarters are in Newbridge, County Kildare

Minister for Defence
Incumbent Simon Harris since 23 January 2025
Department of Defence
Type	Defence minister
Status	Cabinet minister
Member of	Government of Ireland Council of the European Union Dáil Éireann
Reports to	Taoiseach
Seat	Newbridge, Ireland
Nominator	Taoiseach
Appointer	President of Ireland (on the advice of the Taoiseach)
Inaugural holder	Richard Mulcahy
Formation	22 January 1919
Salary	€210,750 (2025)[1] (including €115,953 TD salary)[2]
Website	Official website

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.^[4] 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.^[5]

The Minister is assisted by a Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Thomas Byrne, TD.

Ministers for Defence since 1919

  Denotes acting Minister

Name	Term of office		Party		Government(s)[a]
Richard Mulcahy[b] (1st time)	22 January 1919	1 April 1919		Sinn Féin	1st DM
Cathal Brugha[c]	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)[d]	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)[e]	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)[e]	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[f] (1st time)	12 January 1993	15 December 1994		Fianna Fáil	23rd
Hugh Coveney[f]	15 December 1994	23 May 1995		Fine Gael	24th
Seán Barrett[f]	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)[e]	18 February 2010	23 March 2010		Fianna Fáil	28th
Tony Killeen	23 March 2010	19 January 2011		Fianna Fáil	28th
Éamon Ó Cuív[g]	20 January 2011	9 March 2011		Fianna Fáil	28th
Alan Shatter[h]	9 March 2011	7 May 2014		Fine Gael	29th
Enda Kenny (acting)[e]	7 May 2014	11 July 2014		Fine Gael	29th
Simon Coveney[i] (1st time)	11 July 2014	6 May 2016		Fine Gael	29th
Enda Kenny[e]	6 May 2016	14 June 2017		Fine Gael	30th
Leo Varadkar[e]	14 June 2017	27 June 2020		Fine Gael	31st
Simon Coveney[j] (2nd time)	27 June 2020	17 December 2022		Fine Gael	32nd
Micheál Martin[k]	17 December 2022	23 January 2025		Fianna Fáil	33rd • 34th
Simon Harris[l]	23 January 2025	Incumbent		Fine Gael	35th

Notes

1. Before 1937: DM – Dáil Ministry; PG – Provisional Government; EC – Executive Council.
2. On the first occasion he served as minister Mulcahy bore the title Minister for National Defence.
3. Brugha bore the title Secretary of State for Defence.
4. Also President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State.
5. Also Taoiseach.
6. Also Minister for the Marine.
7. Also Minister for Social Protection and (from 23 January) Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
8. Also Minister for Justice and Equality.
9. Also Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
10. Also Minister for Foreign Affairs.
11. Also Minister for Foreign Affairs.
12. Also Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

See also

• Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (Ireland)
• Minister of State at the Department of Defence
• Director of Military Intelligence (Ireland)