The Defence Forces School of Music has cost taxpayers to the tune of €15.7 million since the beginning of 2023, including a €250,000 spend on ceremonial uniforms for members of the state’s three military bands. The school is organised as a corps of the army, and its 113 professional musicians are assigned ranks such as captain, commandant and sergeant, although they have no military role and the only training they receive is a six-week basic induction course. The bands performed at a total of 661 events during the past two-and-a-half years, excluding rehearsals, according to records released under the Freedom of Information Act. These included state funerals, international sports fixtures, and national commemorations; but also included a large number of school concerts, and some performances required only a single musician. Pay and allowances for the school’s 113 full-time musicians and 10 other staff cost almost €15.3 million during the period, while a further €364,645 was spent on transport, equipment, and ceremonial uniforms. This included €13,525 on sheet music, €5,726 on a new PA system and accessories, and €6,844 on a soprano saxophone with a case, mouthpiece, and harness last October. A total of €253,785 was spent on ceremonial uniforms since the start of 2023. It was the largest investment in the bands’ attire since a major overhaul in 2003, when the music director decided a change of colour was required because “we just didn’t look the business”. Last year, the 261 engagements attended by the Defence Force bands included the state funeral of former Taoiseach John Bruton, a number of rugby internationals, St. Patrick’s Day parades in Dublin, Cork, Offaly and Athlone, and a state dinner at Áras an Uachtaráin. A bugler from the School of Music also played at a number of military funerals, and one of the bands was required to play at a marching exam for army personnel at Cathal Brugha Barracks in June. Musicians join the Defence Forces School of Music by direct entry, which is the same process by which medical doctors and engineers are recruited. They must have experience in several musical styles and be aged between 18 and 28. They are asked to audition, playing two contrasting pieces and undertaking a sight reading test. “Standards of fitness” are also required, but recruits are provided with the “time, facilities and resources” to achieve these standards on the job. Last April, five of the personnel attached to the school held the rank of captain, 45 were privates, 22 were corporals, and 31 were sergeants. Other ranks included commandant and company sergeant. The school, which comprises three military bands, is currently headed by Lieutenant Colonel Margaret Bannister, who became the first female director of music when she took over in 2023. A spokesman for the Defence Forces said the three bands provide musical support to the military and the state. “The No. 1 Band has performed at all major ceremonial occasions since the foundation of the state, including all presidential inaugurations from that of President Douglas Hyde to the present day,” he said. “The band’s engagement schedule now includes attendance at Áras an Uachtaráin for presentation of credentials ceremonies of newly appointed ambassadors, the provision of music support for state visits… and high-profile state engagements such as the National Day of Commemoration. “Concert engagements at the National Concert Hall, recitals in St. Stephen’s Green, and a highly successful Schools Concerts programme are a regular part of the band’s life. The band has performed at festivals and military tattoos in Italy, Holland, Germany and France,” he added.