Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland)

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.

Minister for Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Micheál Martin
since 17 December 2022
Department of Foreign Affairs
Member of
Reports toTaoiseach
SeatIveagh House, Dublin, Ireland
AppointerPresident of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach
Inaugural holderGeorge Noble Plunkett
Formation22 January 1919
WebsiteDepartment 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:

Overview
Iveagh House, Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland

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."[3]

List of office-holders
  Denotes acting Minister

Minister for Foreign Affairs 1919–1922

Name Term of office Party Government(s)[lower-alpha 1]
George Noble Plunkett 22 January 1919 26 August 1921 Sinn Féin 1st DM • 2nd DM
Arthur Griffith[lower-alpha 2] (1st time) 26 August 1921 9 January 1922 Sinn Féin 3rd DM
George Gavan Duffy 10 January 1922 25 July 1922 Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) 4th DM • 1st PG
Arthur Griffith (2nd time) 26 July 1922 12 August 1922 Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) 4th DM • 1st PG
Michael Hayes (acting) 21 August 1922 9 September 1922 Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) 4th DM • 1st PG

Minister for External Affairs 1922–1971

Name Term of office Party Government(s)
Desmond FitzGerald 30 August 1922 23 June 1927 Cumann na nGaedheal 2nd PG • 5th DM • 1st EC • 2nd EC
Kevin O'Higgins 23 June 1927 10 July 1927 Cumann na nGaedheal 3rd EC
W. T. Cosgrave (acting) 10 July 1927 11 October 1927 Cumann na nGaedheal 3rd EC
Patrick McGilligan 11 October 1927 9 March 1932 Cumann na nGaedheal 4th EC • 5th EC
Éamon de Valera[lower-alpha 3] 9 March 1932 18 February 1948 Fianna Fáil 6th EC • 7th EC • 8th EC • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th
Seán MacBride 18 February 1948 13 June 1951 Clann na Poblachta 5th
Frank Aiken (1st time) 13 June 1951 2 June 1954 Fianna Fáil 6th
Liam Cosgrave 2 June 1954 20 March 1957 Fine Gael 7th
Frank Aiken (2nd time) 20 March 1957 2 July 1969 Fianna Fáil 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th
Patrick Hillery 2 July 1969 3 March 1971 Fianna Fáil 13th

Minister for Foreign Affairs 1971–2011

Name Term of office Party Government(s)
Patrick Hillery 3 March 1971 3 January 1973 Fianna Fáil 13th
Brian Lenihan (1st time) 3 January 1973 14 March 1973 Fianna Fáil 13th
Garret FitzGerald 14 March 1973 5 July 1977 Fine Gael 14th
Michael O'Kennedy 5 July 1977 11 December 1979 Fianna Fáil 15th
Brian Lenihan (2nd time) 12 December 1979 30 June 1981 Fianna Fáil 16th
John Kelly (acting)[lower-alpha 4] 30 June 1981 21 October 1981 Fine Gael 17th
James Dooge 21 October 1981 9 March 1982 Fine Gael 17th
Gerry Collins (1st time) 9 March 1982 14 December 1982 Fianna Fáil 18th
Peter Barry 14 December 1982 10 March 1987 Fine Gael 19th
Brian Lenihan (3rd time) 10 March 1987 12 July 1989 Fianna Fáil 20th
Gerry Collins (2nd time) 12 July 1989 11 February 1992 Fianna Fáil 21st
David Andrews (1st time) 11 February 1992 12 January 1993 Fianna Fáil 22nd
Dick Spring (1st time) 12 January 1993 17 November 1994 Labour 23rd
Albert Reynolds (acting) 18 November 1994 15 December 1994 Fianna Fáil 23rd
Dick Spring (2nd time) 15 December 1994 26 June 1997 Labour 24th
Ray Burke 26 June 1997 7 October 1997 Fianna Fáil 25th
David Andrews (2nd time) 8 October 1997 27 January 2000 Fianna Fáil 25th
Brian Cowen 27 January 2000 29 September 2004 Fianna Fáil 25th • 26th
Dermot Ahern 29 September 2004 7 May 2008 Fianna Fáil 26th • 27th
Micheál Martin 7 May 2008 19 January 2011 Fianna Fáil 28th
Brian Cowen (2nd time) 19 January 2011 9 March 2011 Fianna Fáil 28th
Eamon Gilmore 9 March 2011 2 June 2011 Labour 29th

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade 2011–2020

Name Term of office Party Government(s)
Eamon Gilmore 2 June 2011 11 July 2014 Labour 29th
Charles Flanagan 11 July 2014 14 June 2017 Fine Gael 29th • 30th
Simon Coveney[lower-alpha 5] 14 June 2017 24 September 2020 Fine Gael 31st • 32nd

Minister for Foreign Affairs 2020–present

Name Term of office Party Government(s)
Simon Coveney[lower-alpha 5] 24 September 2020 17 December 2022 Fine Gael 32nd
Micheál Martin (2nd time) 17 December 2022 Incumbent Fianna Fáil 33rd
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.
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