Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Minister for Foreign Affairs |
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| Department of Foreign Affairs | |
| Member of | |
| 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 |
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The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Irish: An tAire Gnóthaí Eachtracha) is a very important person in the Government of Ireland. This minister is in charge of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Their main job is to manage how Ireland gets along with other countries around the world.
The Minister's main office is in a building called Iveagh House in Dublin. Sometimes, people even use "Iveagh House" to mean the whole department! For a long time, from 1922 to 1971, this job was called the "Minister for External Affairs".
The person who holds this job right now is Micheál Martin. He is also the Minister for Defence. He gets help from other ministers too:
- Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who is the Minister of State for European Affairs.
- Seán Fleming, who is the Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora.
Contents
What the Minister for Foreign Affairs Does
The Department of Foreign Affairs helps the Minister do their job. It has different teams, or "divisions," that focus on specific areas. These teams help Ireland work with other countries and deal with global issues.
Working with Other Countries
The Minister and the Department are responsible for all of Ireland's relationships with foreign countries. They give advice to the Irish government on how to act in the world. They also help Ireland respond to big international events.
Key Divisions and Their Roles
The Department of Foreign Affairs has several important teams:
- Finance Unit: This team makes sure all the money for the department is managed correctly.
- Anglo-Irish Division: This group focuses on how Ireland and the United Kingdom get along. They also work on issues related to Northern Ireland.
- Cultural Division: This team helps share Irish culture with the rest of the world. They run programs that promote Irish arts and heritage.
- European Union Division: This group makes sure Ireland works well with other countries in the European Union (EU). They help Ireland take part in EU decisions.
- Development Cooperation Division: This team is in charge of the Irish Aid program. This program helps people in poorer countries around the world.
- Passport and Consular Division: This is the team that issues passports to Irish citizens. They also help Irish people who are in trouble when they are abroad.
- Political Division: This group deals with big international political issues. They also help Ireland work with other EU countries on foreign policy and security.
- Protocol Division: This team organizes visits for important people, like presidents or prime ministers, when they come to Ireland. They also arrange visits for the President of Ireland when they travel abroad.
The Department's main goal is to work towards peace and good relationships, especially in Northern Ireland and between Ireland and Britain.
History of the Role
The role of Minister for Foreign Affairs started way back in 1919. The very first person to hold this job was George Noble Plunkett. For many years, from 1922 to 1971, the job was known as the "Minister for External Affairs." This shows how the role has changed and grown over time as Ireland's place in the world has changed.
