Minister for Defence ( Ireland ) - Wikipedia Minister for Defence ( Ireland ) Minister for Defence Incumbent Leo Varadkar since 14 June 2017 Appointer President of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach Inaugural holder General Richard Mulcahy Formation 22 January 1919 Website defence.ie The Minister for Defence ( Irish : An tAire Cosanta ) is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. The current Minister for Defence is Leo Varadkar, TD. The Department of Defence headquarters are in Newbridge, County Kildare The Department is responsible for the Irish Defence Forces. 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. The President of Ireland, a largely ceremonial role, is considered the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces. 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. Since 1978, the Minister for Defence has been assisted by the junior ministerial role of Minister of State at the Department of Defence ; a post currently filled by Paul Kehoe. Contents 1 Ministers for Defence since 1919 2 See also 3 References 4 External links Ministers for Defence since 1919 Denotes Acting Minister No. Name Term of office Party 1. General Richard Mulcahy ( 1st term ) 22 January 1919 1 April 1919 Sinn Féin 2. Cathal Brugha 1 April 1919 9 January 1922 Sinn Féin General Richard Mulcahy ( 2nd term ) 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 nGaedheal 5. Desmond FitzGerald 23 June 1927 9 March 1932 Cumann na nGaedheal 6. Frank Aiken 9 March 1932 8 September 1939 Fianna Fáil 7. Oscar Traynor ( 1st term ) 8 September 1939 18 February 1948 Fianna Fáil 8. Thomas F. O'Higgins 18 February 1948 7 March 1951 Fine Gael 9. General Seán Mac Eoin ( 1st term ) 7 March 1951 13 June 1951 Fine Gael Oscar Traynor ( 2nd term ) 13 June 1951 2 June 1954 Fianna Fáil General Seán Mac Eoin ( 2nd term ) 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 1980 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 1986 10 March 1987 Fine Gael 25. Michael J. Noonan 10 March 1987 12 July 1989 Fianna Fáil 26. Brian Lenihan 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 Andrews ( 1st term ) 12 January 1993 15 December 1994 Fianna Fáil 32. Hugh Coveney 15 December 1994 23 May 1995 Fine Gael 33. Seán Barrett 23 May 1995 26 June 1997 Fine Gael David Andrews ( 2nd term ) 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 18 February 2010 Fianna Fáil 36. Brian Cowen ( Acting ) 18 February 2010 23 March 2010 Fianna Fáil 37. Tony Killeen 23 March 2010 19 January 2011 Fianna Fáil 38. Éamon Ó Cuív 20 January 2011 9 March 2011 Fianna Fáil 39. Alan Shatter 9 March 2011 7 May 2014 Fine Gael 40. Enda Kenny ( Acting ) 7 May 2014 11 July 2014 Fine Gael 41. Simon Coveney 11 July 2014 6 May 2016 Fine Gael Enda Kenny 6 May 2016 14 June 2017 Fine Gael 42. Leo Varadkar 14 June 2017 Incumbent Fine Gael See also Irish cabinets since 1919 Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces ( Ireland ) Minister of State at the Department of Defence Director of Military Intelligence ( Ireland ) References ^ Jump up to : `` List of Ministers and Ministers of State ''. Department of the Taoiseach. Retrieved 2 July 2017. Jump up ^ Defence Act, 1954 Jump up ^ `` Statute Book - Ministers And Secretaries Act, 1924 ''. Retrieved 23 December 2014. the Minister for Defence (... ) shall be assisted by a Council of Defence Jump up ^ On the first occasion he served as minister Mulcahy bore the title Minister for National Defence. Jump up ^ Brugha bore the title Secretary of State for Defence. ^ Jump up to : Also Taoiseach ^ Jump up to : Also Minister for the Marine Jump up ^ Also Minister for Social Protection and ( from 23 January ) Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Jump up ^ Also Minister for Justice and Equality Jump up ^ Also Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine External links Department of Defence Government of Ireland Political posts Taoiseach ( prime minister ) Tánaiste ( deputy prime minister ) Ministries Agriculture, Food and the Marine Business, Enterprise and Innovation Children and Youth Affairs Communications, Climate Action and Environment Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Defence Education and Skills Employment Affairs and Social Protection Finance Foreign Affairs and Trade Health Housing, Planning and Local Government Justice and Equality Public Expenditure and Reform Rural and Community Development Transport, Tourism and Sport Former ministries Communications Co-ordination of Defensive Measures Economic Affairs Fine Arts Industries Irish Labour Posts and Telegraphs Public Service Publicity Supplies Women Cabinet ministers Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minister_for_Defence_(Ireland)&oldid=822638725 '' Categories : Ministers for Defence ( Ireland ) Department of Defence ( Ireland ) Government ministers of the Republic of Ireland Lists of government ministers of Ireland Ministries established in 1919 Defence ministers Hidden categories : Use Irish English from October 2014 All Wikipedia articles written in Irish English Use dmy dates from October 2014 Articles containing Irish - language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Edit links This page was last edited on 27 January 2018, at 16 : 30. 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Question: who is the minister for defence in ireland
Answer: Leo Varadkar, TD