The Minister of State at the Department of Defence (ga|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.[1]
The current Minister of State is Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD, who was appointed in April 2024. Carroll MacNeill is also Minister of State for European Affairs.
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Nicolls[2] | 15 January 1925 | 23 May 1927 | 2nd EC | ||
| Eamonn Duggan | 24 June 1927 | 9 March 1932 | 3rd EC4th EC5th EC | ||
| Gerald Boland | 9 March 1932 | 7 February 1933 | 6th EC | ||
| Seán O'Grady[3] | 8 February 1933 | 3 June 1936 | 7th EC | ||
| Oscar Traynor | 3 June 1936 | 10 November 1936 | 7th EC | ||
| Seán O'Grady | 11 November 1936 | 8 September 1939 | 7th EC1st2nd | ||
| Seán Moylan | 8 September 1939 | 2 July 1943 | 2nd | ||
| Eamon Kissane | 2 July 1943 | 18 February 1948 | 3rd4th | ||
| Brendan Corish[4] | 18 February 1948 | 7 May 1951 | 5th | ||
| Donnchadh Ó Briain | 13 June 1951 | 24 April 1954 | 6th | ||
| Denis J. O'Sullivan | 2 June 1954 | 12 February 1957 | 7th | ||
| Donnchadh Ó Briain | 20 March 1957 | 11 October 1961 | 8th9th | ||
| Joseph Brennan | 11 October 1961 | 18 March 1965 | 10th | ||
| Michael Carty | 21 April 1965 | 22 May 1969 | 11th12th | ||
| Desmond O'Malley | 2 July 1969 | 7 May 1970 | 13th | ||
| David Andrews | 8 May 1970 | 5 February 1973 | 13th | ||
| John M. Kelly | 14 March 1973 | 19 May 1977 | 14th | ||
| Patrick Lalor | 5 July 1977 | 1 January 1978 | 15th | ||
| Name | Term of office | Party | Government | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Lalor | 1 January 1978 | 1 July 1979 | 15th | ||
| Michael Woods | 1 July 1979 | 11 December 1979 | 15th | ||
| Seán Moore | 13 December 1979 | 30 June 1981 | 16th | ||
| Gerry L'Estrange | 30 June 1981 | 11 November 1981 | 17th | ||
| Fergus O'Brien | 11 November 1981 | 9 March 1982 | 17th | ||
| Bertie Ahern | 9 March 1982 | 14 December 1982 | 18th | ||
| Seán Barrett | 14 December 1982 | 13 February 1986 | 19th | ||
| Fergus O'Brien | 13 February 1986 | 10 March 1987 | 19th | ||
| Vincent Brady | 10 March 1987 | 14 November 1991 | 20th21st | ||
| Dermot Ahern | 15 November 1991 | 11 February 1992 | 21st | ||
| Noel Dempsey | 11 February 1992 | 15 December 1994 | 22nd23rd | ||
| Seán Barrett | 15 December 1994 | 23 May 1995 | 24th | ||
| Jim Higgins | 24 May 1995 | 26 June 1997 | 24th | ||
| Séamus Brennan | 26 June 1997 | 6 June 2002 | 25th | ||
| Mary Hanafin | 6 June 2002 | 29 September 2004 | 26th | ||
| Tom Kitt | 29 September 2004 | 7 May 2008 | 26th27th | ||
| Pat Carey | 7 May 2008 | 23 March 2010 | 28th | ||
| John Curran | 23 March 2010 | 9 March 2011 | 28th | ||
| Paul Kehoe | 9 March 2011 | 27 June 2020 | 29th30th31st | ||
| Jack Chambers | 17 November 2020 | 17 December 2022 | 32nd | ||
| Peter Burke | 21 December 2022 | 9 April 2024 | 33rd[5] | ||
| Jennifer Carroll MacNeill | 9 April 2024 | Incumbent | 34th | ||