Back القوات المسلحة الأيرلندية Arabic Въоръжени сили на Република Ирландия Bulgarian Forces de Defensa Irlandeses Catalan Irské obranné síly Czech Irische Streitkräfte German Fuerzas de Defensa Irlandesas Spanish نیروهای دفاعی ایرلند Persian Irlannin asevoimat Finnish Forces de Défense irlandaises French Óglaigh na hÉireann (Fórsaí Cosanta na hÉireann) Irish
| Defence Forces | |
|---|---|
| Fórsaí Cosanta Óglaigh na hÉireann | |
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| Founded | 1 October 1924 |
| Service branches | |
| Headquarters | DFHQ McKee Barracks, Dublin |
| Website | Official website |
| Leadership | |
| Supreme Commander | Michael D. Higgins |
| Minister for Defence | Micheál Martin |
| Chief of Staff | Lieutenant general Seán Clancy (AC) |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18–29 (as of 2024)[1] |
| Conscription | No |
| Active personnel | 7,550 (Establishment: 9,589; 31 December 2023)[2] |
| Reserve personnel | 1,720 (Establishment: 4,069; Aug 2024)[3] |
| Deployed personnel | 530 troops, 17 missions (as of January 2024), including:[4] |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | €1.5bn (2024)[5] |
| Percent of GDP | 0.23% (2022)[6] |
| Related articles | |
| Ranks | Military 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 December 2023, there were 7,550 permanent personnel in the Defence Forces out of an established strength of 9,500,[2] a decrease from September 2020 when there were 8,529 personnel, comprising 6,878 Army, 752 Air Corps and 899 Naval Service personnel.[12] As of August 2024, there were also 1,720 personnel in the Reserve Defence Force out of an established strength of 4,069.[3]
- ^ "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
- ^ a b "Defence Forces – Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 January 2024 - Written Answers".
- ^ a b "Defence Forces - Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 Oct 2024 - Written Answers". Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Hansard). 17 October 2024.
As of 31 August 2024, the effective strength of the Second Line Reserve stood at 1,553, which consists of 1,456 Army Reserve personnel and 97 Naval Service Reserve personnel. On the same date, the strength of the First Line Reserve stood at 167 personnel
- ^ "Defence Forces – Tuesday, 23 Jan 2024 – Parliamentary Questions (33rd Dáil) – Houses of the Oireachtas".
- ^ "Defence Forces Chief of Staff welcomes historic increase in Defence budget". Military.ie.
- ^ "SIPRI Military Expenditure Database | SIPRI". www.sipri.org. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "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.)
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Official President.ie site - Roles of the President". Áras an Uachtaráin. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ "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
- ^ "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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