Defence Forces (Ireland)

Defence Forces
Fórsaí Cosanta
Óglaigh na hÉireann
Founded1 October 1924 (1924-10-01)
Service branches
HeadquartersDFHQ McKee Barracks, Dublin
WebsiteOfficial website
Leadership
Supreme CommanderMichael D. Higgins
Minister for DefenceMicheál Martin
Chief of StaffLieutenant general Seán Clancy (AC)
Personnel
Military age18–29 (as of 2024)[1]
ConscriptionNo
Active personnel7,550 (Establishment: 9,589) (31 December 2023)[2]
Reserve personnel1,706 (Establishment: 4,069) (May 2023)[3]
Deployed personnel530 troops, 17 missions (as of January 2024), including:[4]
Expenditures
Budget€1.23bn (2024)[5]
Percent of GDP0.23% (2022)[6]
Related articles
RanksMilitary ranks of Ireland

The Defence Forces (Irish: Fórsaí Cosanta,[7] officially styled Óglaigh na hÉireann)[8][9][Note 1] are the armed forces of Ireland. They encompass the Army, Air Corps, Naval Service, and Reserve Defence Forces.

The Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces is the President of Ireland.[10] All Defence Forces officers hold their commission from the President, but in practice, the Minister for Defence acts on the President's behalf and reports to the Government of Ireland. The Minister for Defence is advised by the Council of Defence on the business of the Department of Defence.[11]

As of May 2023, there were 7,764 permanent personnel in the Defence Forces out of an established strength of 9,500,[12] a decrease from September 2020 when there were 8,529 personnel, comprising 6,878 Army, 752 Air Corps and 899 Naval Service personnel.[13] There were also 1,706 personnel in the Reserve Defence Force out of an established strength of 4,069.[3]

  1. ^ "Irish Defence Forces - Current Recruitment Opportunities". Military.ie. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024. Army applicants must be at least 18 years old and under the age of 29 years of age [..] Naval Service applicants must be at least 18 years old and under the age of 29
  2. ^ "Defence Forces – Tuesday, 23 Jan 2024 – Ceisteanna Parlaiminte (33rd Dáil) – Tithe an Oireachtais".
  3. ^ a b "Defence Forces Reserve Strength - Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2023 - Written Answers (Question to Defence)". Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Hansard). 20 June 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023. The strength of the Reserve Defence Force, as of 31 May 2023, is [..] Army Reserve .. 1,351 [..] Naval Service Reserve .. 79 [..] First Line Reserve .. 276.
  4. ^ "Defence Forces – Tuesday, 23 Jan 2024 – Parliamentary Questions (33rd Dáil) – Houses of the Oireachtas".
  5. ^ O'Connor, Niall (10 October 2023). "National Security: Garda overtime increase, 1,000 extra gardaí and €21m more in Defence budget". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  6. ^ "SIPRI Military Expenditure Database | SIPRI". www.sipri.org. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Defence Forces Act, 1937", Acts of the Oireachtas, archived from the original on 24 December 2013, retrieved 7 November 2013, ...cialluíonn an abairt 'na Fórsaí Cosanta' na Fórsaí agus an Cúltaca. (...the expression 'the Defence Forces' means the Forces and the Reserve.)
  8. ^ Defence Act, 1954, archived from the original on 29 October 2013, retrieved 26 October 2013, It shall be lawful for the Government to raise, train, equip, arm, pay and maintain defence forces to be called and known as Óglaigh na hÉireann or (in English) the Defence Forces.
  9. ^ Micheál Ó Cearúil (1999), Bunreacht na hÉireann: a study of the Irish text (PDF), Dublin: Stationery Office, p. 189, archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016, retrieved 26 October 2013, 'The Defence Forces' are officially styled by the Army itself as Óglaigh na hÉireann in Irish, as against na Fórsaí Cosanta.
  10. ^ "Official President.ie site - Roles of the President". Áras an Uachtaráin. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  11. ^ "Statute Book - Ministers And Secretaries Act, 1924". Archived from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014. the Minister for Defence ... shall be assisted by a Council of Defence
  12. ^ "Defence Forces Strength - Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday 12 July 2023". Dáil Éireann Hansard. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023. The established strength of the Defence Forces is 9,500 personnel and the current strength, as of 31st May 2023, stood at 7,764 personnel.
  13. ^ "Defence Forces Strength – Tuesday, 17 Nov 2020 – Parliamentary Questions (33rd Dáil) – Houses of the Oireachtas". www.oireachtas.ie. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2022.


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