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Minister for Foreign Affairs
Incumbent Micheál Martin since 17 December 2022
Department of Foreign Affairs
Member of	Government of Ireland Council of the European Union Dáil Éireann
Reports to	Taoiseach
Seat	Iveagh House, Dublin, Ireland
Appointer	President of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach
Inaugural holder	George Noble Plunkett
Formation	22 January 1919
Website	Official website

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Irish: An tAire Gnóthaí Eachtracha) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The Minister's office is located at Iveagh House, on St Stephen's Green in Dublin; "Iveagh House" is often used as a metonym for the department as a whole. From 1922 until 1971 the title of the office was "Minister for External Affairs".

The current office holder is Micheál Martin, TD. He is also Minister for Defence.

He is assisted by:

• Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD – Minister of State for European Affairs
• Seán Fleming, TD – Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora

Overview

The department has the following divisions:

• Finance Unit – oversees the financial control of the department.
• Anglo-Irish Division – deals with Anglo-Irish relations and Northern Ireland.
• Cultural Division – administers the state's Cultural Relations Programme.
• European Union Division – coordinates the state's approach within the European Union (EU).
• Development Cooperation Division – responsible for the Irish Aid programme and for Irish international development policy.
• Passport and Consular Division – is responsible for the issuing of passports to Irish citizens.
• Political Division – is responsible for international political issues and manages the state's participation in the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy.
• Protocol Division – is responsible for the organisation and management of visits of VIPs to the state and of visits abroad by the President of Ireland.

The minister has responsibility for the relations between Ireland and foreign states. The department defines its role as: "The Department of Foreign Affairs advises the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Ministers of State and the Government on all aspects of foreign policy and coordinates Ireland's response to international developments.

It also provides advice and support on all issues relevant to the pursuit of peace, partnership and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, and between North and South of the island, and to deepening Ireland's relationship with Britain."

List of office-holders

Notes

1. Before 1937: DM – Dáil Ministry; PG – Provisional Government; EC – Executive Council.
2. On the first occasion he held the foreign affairs portfolio, Arthur Griffith's title was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
3. Éamon de Valera, who was head of government (President of the Executive Council until 1937, renamed Taoiseach in 1937) served as his own foreign minister.
4. John Kelly, who was also Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism, was named as acting Minister for Foreign Affairs until Dooge was appointed to Seanad Éireann and later appointed as minister.
5. ^ Also Minister for Defence from 27 June 2020.

References

1. "List of Ministers and Ministers of State", Government of Ireland, archived from the original on 7 August 2020, retrieved 31 July 2020
2. "Our Ministers". Department of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
3. "Department of Foreign Affairs: The Role of the Department". Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2012.

External links

• Official website

• Foreign relations of Ireland
• Lists of government ministers of Ireland
• Ministries established in 1919
• Ministers for foreign affairs of Ireland
• Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)