Ambassadorial Nominations
News
26 June 2019On the recommendation of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, the Government today approved a number of Ambassadorial nominations, subject to agreement by the receiving States.
The decision today and an earlier decision by Government in February represent a significant re-shuffle of Ambassadors and Consuls General to take place this summer.
This involves the rotation of nineteen Ambassadorial and six Consul General positions. Included in this are appointments to Consulates General in Frankfurt and Los Angeles to be opened later this year.
The decisions come in the context of the Global Ireland initiative, which aims to double our impact internationally and includes a commitment to open twenty-six new missions by 2025.
So far in 2019, four new Embassies, in Colombia, Chile, Jordan and Liberia, and two new Consulates General, in Cardiff and Mumbai, were opened. An Embassy was opened in New Zealand and a Consulate General in Vancouver in 2018.
Following the establishment of new Embassies and Consulates under the Global Ireland initiative, Ireland now has a network of 88 missions overseas. The decisions and nominations announced today involve more than a quarter of the network and it represents a significant re-organisation and renewal.
The Tánaiste and Minister of Foreign Affairs commented;
“We are facing a period of unprecedented fluidity and challenge in the months and years ahead. More than ever we need our diplomatic network to analyse, engage and influence and we need experienced officers in place around the world to pursue our interests and promote our values. I am confident that with these changes to the network we will be well positioned to meet the challenges ahead. The changes in Europe will be important as we continue to protect our strategic interests in the negotiation process for the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union and support the diversification of trade within the Eurozone and beyond.
“I am confident that the officers nominated have the experience and qualities to be very effective in advancing Ireland’s interests and values at this important time. Ten of the nominees to these senior roles are women and I want to see continued progress towards gender equality to ensure that our representatives abroad reflect who we are as a nation. Some of the changes involve the return of experienced officers to headquarters which will also be invaluable at this time.
“I wish all officers the very best as they take up their new roles. Finally, a number of Ambassadors and officials at HQ are retiring in the coming months and I want to take the opportunity to thank them for their service and wish them and their families all the best for the future”
LIST OF NEW AMBASSADORS AND CONSULS GENERAL NOMINATED TO TAKE UP POSITION THIS SUMMER
It should be noted that all appointments are subject to the agreement of the receiving State and should be presented as nominations. References to “headquarters” are to the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Africa
1 Ms Lesley Ní Bhriain, at present First Secretary at Ireland’s Partnership for Peace Liaison Office, Brussels, to be Ambassador to Sierra Leone (and also to Guinea and Liberia), replacing Ms Catherine Campbell who is assigned to the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU in Brussels.
2 Fionnuala Gilsenan, at present Counsellor in Development Cooperation Division in headquarters to be Ambassador to South Africa (and to Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius and Zimbabwe) replacing Mr Liam MacGabhann who is retiring.
Asia
3 Mr Brendan Ward, at present Ambassador to Turkey to be Ambassador to India (and also to Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka) replacing Mr Brian McElduff who is nominated as Ambassador to Russia.
4 Ms Hilary Reilly, at present based in the Embassy in Washington D.C., to be Ambassador to Malaysia, replacing Mr Eamon Hickey who is nominated as Ambassador to Switzerland.
5 Mr John McCullagh, at present Counsellor in Political Division at headquarters to be Ambassador to Vietnam (and to Laos and Cambodia), replacing Ms Cait Moran who returns to headquarters.
Europe
6 Mr Breifne O’Reilly at present Ambassador to Switzerland to be Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, replacing Mr Keith McBean who is nominated as Ambassador to Norway.
7 Ms Cliona Manahan, at present Ambassador to Denmark to be Ambassador to the Czech Republic (and to Ukraine), replacing Mr Charles Sheehan who returns to headquarters.
8 Mr Adrian McDaid, at present Ambassador to the Russian Federation, to be Ambassador to Denmark, replacing Ms Cliona Manahan who is nominated as Ambassador to the Czech Republic.
9 Mr Ronan Gargan, at present Counsellor in the European Union Division in headquarters, to be Ambassador to Hungary (and to Kosovo and Montenegro), replacing Mr Patrick Kelly who returns to headquarters.
10 Mr Nicholas O’Brien, at present Assistant Secretary General in Department of Finance to be Ambassador to Germany, replacing Mr Michael Collins who is retiring.
11 Mr Peter McIvor, at present First Secretary at the Embassy in India to be Ambassador to Lithuania (and also to Belarus) replacing Mr David Noonan who is returning to Ireland.
12 Mr Stephen Dawson, at present First Secretary in Political Division in headquarters, to be Ambassador to Luxembourg, replacing Mr Peadar Carpenter who returns to headquarters.
13 Mr Keith McBean, at present Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, to be Ambassador to Norway (and to Iceland) replacing Mr Karl Gardner who returns to headquarters.
14 Mr Ralph Victory at present Counsellor in the Communications Unit at headquarters to be Ambassador to Portugal (and also to Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau and Morocco), replacing Ms Orla Tunney who returns to headquarters.
15 Mr Paul McGarry, at present Counsellor in the European Union Division at headquarters to be Ambassador to Romania (and also to Macedonia and Moldova), replacing Mr Derek Feely who returns to headquarters.
16 Mr Brian McElduff, at present Ambassador to India to be Ambassador to the Russian Federation (and also to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan), replacing Mr Adrian McDaid who is nominated as Ambassador to Denmark.
17 Mr Eamon Hickey, at present Ambassador to Malaysia to be Ambassador to Switzerland (and also to Algeria and Liechtenstein) replacing Mr Breifne O’Reilly who is nominated as Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe.
18 Ms. Sonya McGuinness, at present Counsellor in the Human Resources Unit at headquarters, to be Ambassador to Turkey (and also to Azerbaijan, Iran and to Pakistan) to replace Mr Brendan Ward who is nominated as Ambassador to India.
Middle East
19 Mr Kyle O’Sullivan, at present Counsellor in the Consular Services Unit at headquarters to be Ambassador to Israel, replacing Ms Alison Kelly who is retiring.
Appointment of Consuls General
1 Ms Jane McCulloch, at present First Secretary in the Passport Service to be Consul General in Edinburgh, Scotland replacing Mr Mark Hanniffy who is to be Joint Secretary to the North South Ministerial Council based in Armagh.
2 Mr John Lynam, at present First Secretary at the Embassy of Ireland in Beijing, China to be Consul General at the new Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany, to open late 2019.
3 Ms Ciara O’Floinn, at present First Secretary in the Strategy, Governance and Change Unit at Headquarters, to be Consul General in Atlanta, Georgia, to replace Mr Shane Stephens who returns to Headquarters in August 2020.
4 Ms Claire McCarthy, at present Assistant Principal Officer in the Corporate Services Division in Headquarters, to be Consul General in Austin, Texas, replacing Mr Adrian Farrell who is returning to Headquarters.
5 Ms Laoise Moore, at present First Secretary in Political Division to be Consul General in Boston, Massachusetts, to replace Ms Fionnuala Quinlan who is nominated as Ambassador to Kenya.
6 Ms Orla Keane, at present First Secretary in the European Union Division at Headquarters to be Consul General at the new Consulate General in Los Angeles, California, to open late 2019.
