The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence (An Roinn Cosanta) in the Irish Government. The current Minister for Defence is Willie O'Dea, TD; he is assisted by Minister of State Tom Kitt, 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.
List of Ministers for Defence
| #
| Name
| Took Office
| Left Office
| Party
|
| 1. | Richard Mulcahy (1st time) 1 | January 22, 1919 | April 1, 1919 | Sinn Féin
|
| 2. | Cathal Brugha 2 | April 1, 1919 | January 9, 1922 | Sinn Féin
|
| Richard Mulcahy (2nd time) | January 10, 1922 | March 19, 1924 | Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin
|
| 3. | W.T. Cosgrave (acting) | March 20, 1924 | November 21, 1924 | Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin
|
| 4. | Peter Hughes | November 21, 1924 | June 23, 1927 | Cumann na nGaedhael
|
| 5. | Desmond FitzGerald | June 23, 1927 | March 9, 1932 | Cumann na nGaedhael
|
| 6. | Frank Aiken | March 9, 1932 | September 8, 1939 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 7. | Oscar Traynor (1st time) | September 8, 1939 | February 18, 1948 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 8. | Thomas F. O'Higgins | February 18, 1948 | March 7, 1951 | Fine Gael
|
| 9. | Seán MacEoin (1st time) | March 7, 1951 | June 13, 1951 | Fine Gael
|
| Oscar Traynor (2nd time) | June 13, 1951 | June 2, 1954 | Fianna Fáil
|
| Seán MacEoin (2nd time) | June 2, 1954 | March 20, 1957 | Fine Gael
|
| 10. | Kevin Boland | March 20, 1957 | October 11, 1961 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 11. | Gerald Bartley | October 11, 1961 | April 21, 1965 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 12. | Michael Hilliard | April 21, 1965 | July 2, 1969 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 13. | Jim Gibbons | July 2, 1969 | May 9, 1970 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 14. | Jerry Cronin | May 9, 1970 | March 14, 1973 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 15. | Paddy Donegan | March 14, 1973 | December 2, 1976 | Fine Gael
|
| 16. | Liam Cosgrave (acting) | December 2, 1976 | December 16, 1976 | Fine Gael
|
| 17. | Oliver J. Flanagan | December 16, 1976 | July 5, 1977 | Fine Gael
|
| 18. | Bobby Molloy | July 5, 1977 | December 11, 1979 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 19. | Pádraig Faulkner | December 12, 1979 | October 15, 1980 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 20. | Sylvester Barret | October 15, 1979 | June 30, 1981 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 21. | James Tully | June 30, 1981 | March 9, 1982 | Labour
|
| 22. | Paddy Power | March 9, 1982 | December 14, 1982 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 23. | Patrick Cooney | December 14, 1982 | February 14, 1986 | Fine Gael
|
| 24. | Paddy O'Toole | February 14, 1982 | March 10, 1987 | Fine Gael
|
| 25. | Michael J. Noonan | March 10, 1987 | July 12, 1989 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 26. | Brian Lenihan | July 12, 1989 | October 31, 1990 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 27. | Charles Haughey (acting) | November 1, 1990 | February 5, 1991 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 28. | Brendan Daly | February 5, 1991 | November 14, 1991 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 29. | Vincent Brady | November 14, 1991 | February 11, 1992 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 30. | John P. Wilson | February 11, 1992 | January 12, 1993 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 31. | David Andrews (1st time) 3 | January 12, 1993 | December 15, 1994 | Fianna Fáil
|
| 32. | Hugh Coveney 3| December 15, 1994 | May 23, 1995 | Fine Gael
| | 33. | Seán Barret 3| May 23, 1995 | June 26, 1997 | Fine Gael
| | 34. | David Andrews (2nd time) | June 26, 1997 | October 8, 1997 | Fianna Fáil
| | 25. | Michael Smith | October 8, 1997 | September 29, 2004 | Fianna Fáil
| | 26. | Willie O'Dea | September 29, 2004 | (Current office-holder) | Fianna Fáil
</table>
Footnotes
- On the first occasion he served as defence minister, Mulcahy bore the title of Minister for National Defence.
- Brugha bore the title of Secretary of State for Defence.
- As Minister for Defence and the Marine.
See also
External link
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