Primary responsibility for security matters and the internal security of the State rests with the Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána.
Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) which, in practice, means to provide assistance and support to An Garda Síochána when requested to do so.
In 2014, the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland and its member banks decided that they no longer required the services of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces in providing escorts for certain cash transports and in November 2014 this service ceased.