Minister for Defence (Ireland).html
 
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Government of Ireland

The Minister for Defence (Irish: Aire Cosanta) is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. The current Minister for Defence is Willie O'Dea, TD; he is assisted by Minister of State Pat Carey, TD. The department is responsible for the Irish Defence Forces; its primary concern is that of ensuring a secure and stable environment for the economic growth and development of the country.

The Ministers and Secretaries Act 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.

Contents

Minister for Defence 1919–present

# Name Entered Office Left Office Party
1. Richard Mulcahy1 (1st time) 22 January 1919 1 April 1919 Sinn Féin
2. Cathal Brugha2 1 April 1919 9 January 1922 Sinn Féin
Richard Mulcahy (2nd time) 10 January 1922 19 March 1924 Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin
3. W. T. Cosgrave (acting) 20 March 1924 21 November 1924 Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin
4. Peter Hughes 21 November 1924 23 June 1927 Cumann na nGaedhael
5. Desmond FitzGerald 23 June 1927 9 March 1932 Cumann na nGaedhael
6. Frank Aiken 9 March 1932 8 September 1939 Fianna Fáil
7. Oscar Traynor (1st time) 8 September 1939 18 February 1948 Fianna Fáil
8. Thomas F. O'Higgins 18 February 1948 7 March 1951 Fine Gael
9. Seán Mac Eoin (1st time) 7 March 1951 13 June 1951 Fine Gael
Oscar Traynor (2nd time) 13 June 1951 2 June 1954 Fianna Fáil
Seán Mac Eoin (2nd time) 2 June 1954 20 March 1957 Fine Gael
10. Kevin Boland 20 March 1957 11 October 1961 Fianna Fáil
11. Gerald Bartley 11 October 1961 21 April 1965 Fianna Fáil
12. Michael Hilliard 21 April 1965 2 July 1969 Fianna Fáil
13. Jim Gibbons 2 July 1969 9 May 1970 Fianna Fáil
14. Jerry Cronin 9 May 1970 14 March 1973 Fianna Fáil
15. Paddy Donegan 14 March 1973 2 December 1976 Fine Gael
16. Liam Cosgrave (acting) 2 December 1976 16 December 1976 Fine Gael
17. Oliver J. Flanagan 16 December 1976 5 July 1977 Fine Gael
18. Bobby Molloy 5 July 1977 11 December 1979 Fianna Fáil
19. Pádraig Faulkner 12 December 1979 15 October 1980 Fianna Fáil
20. Sylvester Barrett 15 October 1979 30 June 1981 Fianna Fáil
21. James Tully 30 June 1981 9 March 1982 Labour Party
22. Paddy Power 9 March 1982 14 December 1982 Fianna Fáil
23. Patrick Cooney 14 December 1982 14 February 1986 Fine Gael
24. Paddy O'Toole 14 February 1982 10 March 1987 Fine Gael
25. Michael J. Noonan 10 March 1987 12 July 1989 Fianna Fáil
26. Brian Lenihan, Snr 12 July 1989 31 October 1990 Fianna Fáil
27. Charles Haughey (acting) 1 November 1990 5 February 1991 Fianna Fáil
28. Brendan Daly 5 February 1991 14 November 1991 Fianna Fáil
29. Vincent Brady 14 November 1991 11 February 1992 Fianna Fáil
30. John Wilson 11 February 1992 12 January 1993 Fianna Fáil
31. David Andrews3 (1st time) 12 January 1993 15 December 1994 Fianna Fáil
32. Hugh Coveney3 15 December 1994 23 May 1995 Fine Gael
33. Seán Barrett3 23 May 1995 26 June 1997 Fine Gael
David Andrews (2nd time) 26 June 1997 8 October 1997 Fianna Fáil
34. Michael Smith 8 October 1997 29 September 2004 Fianna Fáil
35. Willie O'Dea 29 September 2004 Incumbent Fianna Fáil

Footnotes

  1. ^ On the first occasion he served as defence minister, Mulcahy bore the title of Minister for National Defence.
  2. ^ Brugha bore the title of Secretary of State for Defence.
  3. ^ a b c As Minister for Defence and the Marine.

See also

External links


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