Press release
Appointment of new Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The government this morning (4 March) accepted the recommendation of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Simon Harris, to nominate Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy for appointment by the President as Chief of Staff designate of the Defence Forces. Brigadier Mulcahy is currently serving as Assistant Chief of Staff.
He will succeed the current Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy, who will leave his post to take up a new appointment as Chair of the European Union Military Committee on 1 June 2025.
The Tánaiste said:
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Brigadier General Mulcahy on his appointment and I look forward to working closely with him in the future. My priorities are to continue the transformation of the Defence Forces to ensure that it is a fit-for-purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges we face now and into the future.”
In July 2024, the government approved the preparation of the necessary legislation to provide for the reform of high-level Command and Control of the Defence Forces. This will include the creation of a new position of Chief of Defence with the appropriate military command and control authority of the Defence Forces. At that stage, the position of Chief of Staff will no longer exist.
Brigadier General Mulcahy’s appointment as Chief of Staff is for a minimum period of two years, pending the introduction of the forthcoming Command and Control legislation, and not exceeding five years. On its establishment, he will be eligible to apply for the new position of Chief of Defence.
The reform of high-level Command and Control of the Defence Forces will have no impact on the Constitutional role of the President of Ireland as Supreme Commander of the Irish Defence Forces. The principle of control of the military by a civilian, elected Executive, which has served the State well, will be reinforced in the new structures, with the Minister for Defence retaining the right to command the Defence Forces on behalf of the government. The Secretary General of the Department of Defence will remain as Accounting Officer.
Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy is a professional communications officer with over 39 years' experience in a variety of roles across the Defence Forces as well as deployments with the United Nations and NATO.
His overseas experience includes:
Brigadier General Mulcahy took up his appointment as Assistant Chief of Staff in Oct 2021 and has responsibility for a range of organisational level issues. He has previously served as Director of Strategic Planning Branch from Feb 2020, where he was responsible for Strategy Development, Defence Policy Programme Implementation, Defence Forces' Annual Plans, and International Security and Defence Policy coordination. From 2019 he was the Director of Communications and Information Services, with cyber being one of his areas of responsibility. Brigadier General Mulcahy has served in all of the CIS Units within the Army; he has held appointments in the Joint Command and Staff School and the Defence Forces' Management Information Framework Section as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Brigadier General Mulcahy’s educational qualifications include a B. COMM from NUIG, a Higher Diploma in Information Technology from NUIM, a B.Sc. in Management Information Systems from UCD, an MA in Leadership Management and Defence Studies from NUIM and most recently a Professional Diploma in Strategy Development and Innovation from the Smurfit Business School, UCD. He is a graduate of the Defence Forces' Senior Command & Staff Course (2008) and the US Army Command and General Staff College (2011).
Brigadier General Mulcahy is married to Lorna and they have two daughters, Caoimhe and Laoise.