President and the Defence Forces

Information

The President of Ireland is Supreme Commander of the Irish Defence Forces. Officers in the Defence Forces hold commissions from the President.

Under the Defence Act of 1954, military command is exercised by the Irish Government through the Minister for Defence who manages and controls the forces.

The Defence Forces in Ireland consist of;

  • the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) and
  • the Reserve Defence Force (RDF).

The Permanent Defence Force in Ireland includes the Irish Army, Irish Naval Service and Irish Air Corps. The Reserve Defence Force consists of the Army Reserve and the Naval Reserve.

Page updated: 1 May 2008

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