Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland)

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (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
{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes acting Minister|border=black}} {| class ="wikitable"
 * colspan="8"|
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Minister for Foreign Affairs 1919–1922
!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s) (1st time) (2nd time)
 * George Noble Plunkett
 * 22 January 1919
 * 26 August 1921
 * 1st DM • 2nd DM
 * Arthur Griffith
 * 1st DM • 2nd DM
 * Arthur Griffith
 * Arthur Griffith
 * 26 August 1921
 * 9 January 1922
 * 3rd DM
 * George Gavan Duffy
 * 10 January 1922
 * 25 July 1922
 * 4th DM • 1st PG
 * Arthur Griffith
 * 4th DM • 1st PG
 * Arthur Griffith
 * Arthur Griffith
 * Arthur Griffith
 * 26 July 1922
 * 12 August 1922
 * 4th DM • 1st PG
 * -bgcolor=#E6E6AA
 * Michael Hayes (acting)
 * 21 August 1922
 * 9 September 1922
 * 4th DM • 1st PG
 * colspan="8"|
 * 4th DM • 1st PG
 * colspan="8"|
 * colspan="8"|

Minister for External Affairs 1922–1971
!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s) (1st time) (2nd time)
 * Desmond FitzGerald
 * 30 August 1922
 * 23 June 1927
 * 2nd PG • 5th DM • 1st EC • 2nd EC
 * Kevin O'Higgins
 * 23 June 1927
 * 10 July 1927
 * 3rd EC
 * - bgcolor=#E6E6AA
 * W. T. Cosgrave (acting)
 * 10 July 1927
 * 11 October 1927
 * 3rd EC
 * Patrick McGilligan
 * 11 October 1927
 * 9 March 1932
 * 4th EC • 5th EC
 * Éamon de Valera
 * 9 March 1932
 * 18 February 1948
 * 6th EC • 7th EC • 8th EC • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th
 * Seán MacBride
 * 18 February 1948
 * 13 June 1951
 * 5th
 * Frank Aiken
 * 9 March 1932
 * 18 February 1948
 * 6th EC • 7th EC • 8th EC • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th
 * Seán MacBride
 * 18 February 1948
 * 13 June 1951
 * 5th
 * Frank Aiken
 * 5th
 * Frank Aiken
 * Frank Aiken
 * Frank Aiken
 * 13 June 1951
 * 2 June 1954
 * 6th
 * Liam Cosgrave
 * 2 June 1954
 * 20 March 1957
 * 7th
 * Frank Aiken
 * 7th
 * Frank Aiken
 * Frank Aiken
 * Frank Aiken
 * 20 March 1957
 * 2 July 1969
 * 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th
 * Patrick Hillery
 * 2 July 1969
 * 3 March 1971
 * 13th
 * colspan="8"|
 * 13th
 * colspan="8"|
 * colspan="8"|
 * colspan="8"|

Minister for Foreign Affairs 1971–2011
!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s) (1st time) (2nd time) (1st time) (3rd time) (2nd time) (1st time) (1st time) (2nd time) (2nd time) (2nd time)
 * Patrick Hillery
 * 3 March 1971
 * 3 January 1973
 * 13th
 * Brian Lenihan
 * 13th
 * Brian Lenihan
 * Brian Lenihan
 * 3 January 1973
 * 14 March 1973
 * 13th
 * Garret FitzGerald
 * 14 March 1973
 * 5 July 1977
 * 14th
 * Michael O'Kennedy
 * 5 July 1977
 * 11 December 1979
 * 15th
 * Brian Lenihan
 * 5 July 1977
 * 11 December 1979
 * 15th
 * Brian Lenihan
 * Brian Lenihan
 * Brian Lenihan
 * 12 December 1979
 * 30 June 1981
 * 16th
 * - bgcolor=#E6E6AA
 * John Kelly (acting)
 * 30 June 1981
 * 21 October 1981
 * 17th
 * James Dooge
 * 21 October 1981
 * 9 March 1982
 * 17th
 * Gerry Collins
 * 9 March 1982
 * 17th
 * Gerry Collins
 * Gerry Collins
 * Gerry Collins
 * 9 March 1982
 * 14 December 1982
 * 18th
 * Peter Barry
 * 14 December 1982
 * 10 March 1987
 * 19th
 * Brian Lenihan
 * 19th
 * Brian Lenihan
 * Brian Lenihan
 * Brian Lenihan
 * 10 March 1987
 * 12 July 1989
 * 20th
 * Gerry Collins
 * Gerry Collins
 * Gerry Collins
 * 12 July 1989
 * 11 February 1992
 * 21st
 * David Andrews
 * David Andrews
 * David Andrews
 * 11 February 1992
 * 12 January 1993
 * 22nd
 * Dick Spring
 * Dick Spring
 * Dick Spring
 * 12 January 1993
 * 17 November 1994
 * 23rd
 * - bgcolor=#E6E6AA
 * Albert Reynolds (acting)
 * 18 November 1994
 * 15 December 1994
 * 23rd
 * Dick Spring
 * 23rd
 * Dick Spring
 * Dick Spring
 * 15 December 1994
 * 26 June 1997
 * 24th
 * Ray Burke
 * 26 June 1997
 * 7 October 1997
 * 25th
 * David Andrews
 * 25th
 * David Andrews
 * David Andrews
 * David Andrews
 * 8 October 1997
 * 27 January 2000
 * 25th
 * Brian Cowen
 * 27 January 2000
 * 29 September 2004
 * 25th • 26th
 * Dermot Ahern
 * 29 September 2004
 * 7 May 2008
 * 26th • 27th
 * Micheál Martin
 * 7 May 2008
 * 19 January 2011
 * 28th
 * - bgcolor=#E6E6AA
 * Brian Cowen
 * Micheál Martin
 * 7 May 2008
 * 19 January 2011
 * 28th
 * - bgcolor=#E6E6AA
 * Brian Cowen
 * Brian Cowen
 * 19 January 2011
 * 9 March 2011
 * 28th
 * Eamon Gilmore
 * 9 March 2011
 * 2 June 2011
 * 29th
 * colspan="8"|
 * 29th
 * colspan="8"|
 * colspan="8"|
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Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade 2011–2020
!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s)
 * Eamon Gilmore
 * 2 June 2011
 * 11 July 2014
 * 29th
 * Charles Flanagan
 * 11 July 2014
 * 14 June 2017
 * 29th • 30th
 * Simon Coveney
 * 14 June 2017
 * 24 September 2020
 * 31st • 32nd
 * colspan="8"|
 * Simon Coveney
 * 14 June 2017
 * 24 September 2020
 * 31st • 32nd
 * colspan="8"|
 * colspan="8"|
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Minister for Foreign Affairs 2020–present
!Name !colspan="2"|Term of office !colspan="2"|Party !Government(s) (2nd time)
 * Simon Coveney
 * 24 September 2020
 * 17 December 2022
 * 32nd
 * Micheál Martin
 * 32nd
 * Micheál Martin
 * Micheál Martin
 * 17 December 2022
 * Incumbent
 * 33rd • 34th
 * }
 * Notes
 * Notes