MINISTER FOR Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin secured approval for 30 new ambassadorial nominations at the weekly meeting of the Cabinet yesterday, in one of the biggest diplomatic reshuffles of recent years.
All of the nominees are subject to formal approval by the host governments, although there is normally no difficulty in this regard.
As an economy measure, some positions are being filled at a lower salary grade than normal.
In the case of nine of the posts, the outgoing ambassador is retiring from the department.
Those who are retiring include Antóin Mac Unfraidh in Athens, who is being succeeded by Charles Sheehan from EU division in headquarters at Iveagh House; Tony Mannix in Berne, succeeded by Martin Burke, who is currently Ambassador to Luxembourg; and Michael Hoey in Brazil, succeeded by Frank Sheridan, currently Ambassador to Mozambique.
Others in this category are Brian Nason in Brussels, succeeded by Tom Hanney, currently joint secretary in charge of the North-South Ministerial Council in Armagh; Martin Greene in Budapest, succeeded by John Deady, currently Ambassador to Iran; Pat McCabe in Ljubljana, Slovenia, succeeded by Tom Brady, currently Ambassador to Cyprus; Dick O’Brien in Singapore, succeeded by Joe Hayes, currently Ambassador to Denmark; Tom Bolster in Tallinn, succeeded by Peter McIvor, currently in the political division; and Frank Cogan in Vienna, succeeded by Jim Brennan, currently Ambassador to Portugal.
The other 21 nominations at ambassador level are as follows – Nigeria: Paddy Fay, currently in Lesotho; Joint Secretary in Armagh: Anne Barrington, currently in Tanzania; Argentina: James McIntyre, currently in political division; Egypt: Isolde Moylan, currently in political division; Denmark: Brendan Scannell, currently in Japan; Tanzania: Lorcan Fullam, currently in Department of the Taoiseach; Malaysia: Declan Kelly, currently in Canada; Portugal: Declan O’Donovan, currently in Poland; Luxembourg: Diarmuid O’Leary, currently in Irish Aid; Mozambique: Ruairí de Búrca, currently in Anglo-Irish division; Lesotho: Gerry Gervin, currently in Irish Aid; Cyprus: Pat Scullion, currently Consul General in Sydney; Canada: Ray Bassett, currently head of consular division; South Africa: Brendan McMahon, currently in Latvia; Bulgaria: John Rowan, currently in EU division; Iran: Oliver Grogan, currently in Anglo-Irish Division; Japan: John Neary, currently head of Promoting Ireland Abroad division; Malta: Jim Hennessy, currently in political division; Lithuania: Philomena Murnaghan, currently in Argentina; Poland: Eugene Hutchinson, currently in Malaysia; Latvia: Aidan Kirwan, currently first secretary in Russia.
A number of outgoing ambassadors are returning to senior positions at Iveagh House, including Kyle O’Sullivan, currently in Nigeria; Colin Wrafter in South Africa; Geoffrey Keatinge in Bulgaria; Gerry O’Connor in Malta; and Donal Denham in Lithuania.
It is understood that four of the 30 ambassadorships are being filled at first-secretary level, which is below the normal grade for such a position. This is the first time ambassadorships are being filled at this level, but the Government is not specifying the posts in question so as to avoid giving offence to the host government.
Secretary general of the department David Cooney told the Dáil’s public accounts committee last January that a “lighter structure” was being introduced at Irish missions in some EU member states, but there were no plans to close missions as it was important to have someone “on the ground”.