# Minister of State at the Department of Defence

The Minister of State at the Department of Defence (Irish: Aire Stáit ag an Roinn Cosanta) is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Defence of the Government of Ireland who performs duties and functions delegated by the Minister for Defence. Although the position has often been held jointly with that of the post of Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility as Government Chief Whip, which entitles the office-holder to regularly attend meetings of cabinet, the position of Minister of State does not itself hold cabinet rank. The title was first used on 1 January 1978, replacing the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defence. The Minister of State at the Department of Defence is a member of the Council of Defence.
The current Minister of State is Thomas Byrne, TD, who was appointed in January 2025. Byrne is also Minister of State for European Affairs.

## List of parliamentary secretaries, 1924–1978

| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Government |
| George Nicolls | 15 January 1925 | 23 May 1927 | Cumann na nGaedheal | 2nd EC |
| Eamonn Duggan | 24 June 1927 | 9 March 1932 | Cumann na nGaedheal | 3rd EC • 4th EC • 5th EC |
| Gerald Boland | 9 March 1932 | 7 February 1933 | Fianna Fáil | 6th EC |
| Seán O'Grady | 8 February 1933 | 3 June 1936 | Fianna Fáil | 7th EC |
| Oscar Traynor | 3 June 1936 | 10 November 1936 | Fianna Fáil | 7th EC |
| Seán O'Grady | 11 November 1936 | 8 September 1939 | Fianna Fáil | 7th EC • 1st • 2nd |
| Seán Moylan | 8 September 1939 | 2 July 1943 | Fianna Fáil | 2nd |
| Eamon Kissane | 2 July 1943 | 18 February 1948 | Fianna Fáil | 3rd • 4th |
| Brendan Corish | 18 February 1948 | 7 May 1951 | Labour | 5th |
| Donnchadh Ó Briain | 13 June 1951 | 24 April 1954 | Fianna Fáil | 6th |
| Denis J. O'Sullivan | 2 June 1954 | 12 February 1957 | Fine Gael | 7th |
| Donnchadh Ó Briain | 20 March 1957 | 11 October 1961 | Fianna Fáil | 8th • 9th |
| Joseph Brennan | 11 October 1961 | 18 March 1965 | Fianna Fáil | 10th |
| Michael Carty | 21 April 1965 | 22 May 1969 | Fianna Fáil | 11th • 12th |
| Desmond O'Malley | 2 July 1969 | 7 May 1970 | Fianna Fáil | 13th |
| David Andrews | 8 May 1970 | 5 February 1973 | Fianna Fáil | 13th |
| John M. Kelly | 14 March 1973 | 19 May 1977 | Fine Gael | 14th |
| Patrick Lalor | 5 July 1977 | 1 January 1978 | Fianna Fáil | 15th |

## List of ministers of state, 1978–present

| Name | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Government |
| Patrick Lalor | 1 January 1978 | 1 July 1979 | Fianna Fáil | 15th |
| Michael Woods | 1 July 1979 | 11 December 1979 | Fianna Fáil | 15th |
| Seán Moore | 13 December 1979 | 30 June 1981 | Fianna Fáil | 16th |
| Gerry L'Estrange | 30 June 1981 | 11 November 1981 | Fine Gael | 17th |
| Fergus O'Brien | 11 November 1981 | 9 March 1982 | Fine Gael | 17th |
| Bertie Ahern | 9 March 1982 | 14 December 1982 | Fianna Fáil | 18th |
| Seán Barrett | 14 December 1982 | 13 February 1986 | Fine Gael | 19th |
| Fergus O'Brien | 13 February 1986 | 10 March 1987 | Fine Gael | 19th |
| Vincent Brady | 10 March 1987 | 14 November 1991 | Fianna Fáil | 20th • 21st |
| Dermot Ahern | 15 November 1991 | 11 February 1992 | Fianna Fáil | 21st |
| Noel Dempsey | 11 February 1992 | 15 December 1994 | Fianna Fáil | 22nd • 23rd |
| Seán Barrett | 15 December 1994 | 23 May 1995 | Fine Gael | 24th |
| Jim Higgins | 24 May 1995 | 26 June 1997 | Fine Gael | 24th |
| Séamus Brennan | 26 June 1997 | 6 June 2002 | Fianna Fáil | 25th |
| Mary Hanafin | 6 June 2002 | 29 September 2004 | Fianna Fáil | 26th |
| Tom Kitt | 29 September 2004 | 7 May 2008 | Fianna Fáil | 26th • 27th |
| Pat Carey | 7 May 2008 | 23 March 2010 | Fianna Fáil | 28th |
| John Curran | 23 March 2010 | 9 March 2011 | Fianna Fáil | 28th |
| Paul Kehoe | 9 March 2011 | 27 June 2020 | Fine Gael | 29th • 30th • 31st |
| Jack Chambers | 17 November 2020 | 17 December 2022 | Fianna Fáil | 32nd |
| Peter Burke | 21 December 2022 | 9 April 2024 | Fine Gael | 33rd |
| Jennifer Carroll MacNeill | 9 April 2024 | 23 January 2025 | Fine Gael | 34th |
| Thomas Byrne | 29 January 2025 | Incumbent | Fianna Fáil | 35th |