Presidential Distinguished Service Award 2020: Call for nominations
News
18 February 2020
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney T.D. and Minister of State for the Diaspora Ciarán Cannon T.D., with recipients of the 2019 Presidential Distinguished Service Award.
Nominations are now open for the 2020 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad.
The Presidential Distinguished Service Award was established to acknowledge the profound impact the global Irish diaspora has had on a wide variety of fields, both in Ireland and around the world. Ireland’s greatest resource has always been our people and the valuable contribution that our community abroad has made to Ireland throughout our history is widely acknowledged and respected by the Government and the people of Ireland.
The first Presidential Distinguished Service Awards were made in 2012. Nominations are made by Irish communities abroad through Ireland’s network of Diplomatic Missions. Over the last 8 years, 83 recipients have received the Award.
In order to be eligible for consideration, nominees must be resident outside the island of Ireland and are required to satisfy one of the following additional requirements:
- they have rendered distinguished service to the nation and/or its reputation abroad;
- have actively and demonstrably contributed to Ireland and/or its international reputation and/or Irish communities abroad in at least one of the listed categories;
- have a track record of sustained support and engagement with Ireland and/or its international reputation and/or Irish communities abroad over a period of not less than 5 years; or
- have made a sustained and distinguished service to Ireland on a global or international issue of importance.
Further information, including a full list of criteria, can be found here. Nominations should be submitted through the Embassy of Ireland in the country of residence of the nominee before Tuesday, 7th April 2020.
