Cabinet approves 31 new ambassadorial appointments

PATSY M

Ireland’s new Ambassador to the Holy See is Emma Madigan, who had been an assistant chief of protocol at the Department of Foreign Affairs

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Her nomination was approved by the Cabinet yesterday as part of a major reshuffle of diplomatic posts which involves 31 ambassadorial and five consul general appointments.

A number of the appointments are to cover the new positions created on foot of the Government decision earlier this year to expand and restructure Ireland’s diplomatic and consular network.

Ms Madigan succeeds Noel Fahey, who retired from the position in summer 2011.

With the closure of Ireland's Embassy to the Holy See in November 2011, this State was represented to the Vatican on a caretaker basis by secretary general at the Department of Foreign Affairs David Cooney.

Expansion

Last January, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore announced

the Embassy to the Holy See was to reopen as part of an expansion of Ireland’s diplomatic network, which will also see embassies opening in Thailand, Indonesia, Croatia and Kenya.

Rory Montgomery, currently Ambassador to France, has been appointed as the new second secretary-general at the Department of the Taoiseach, one of the most senior posts in the public service.

He will replace Geraldine Byrne Nason, who will take over as Ambassador to France. Mr Cooney will become Ambassador to Spain.

New mission

Frank Flood, at present serving at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat in Belfast, will be

Ambassador to Estonia; Tim Harrington, at present in Brussels, will be Ambassador to Croatia, establishing a new mission.

Patrick Kelly, at present serving at headquarters in Dublin, will be Ambassador to Slovenia; Gerard Keown from headquarters will go as Ambassador to Poland; Noel Kilkenny, consul-general in New York, will be Ambassador to Greece while Padraig MacCoscair, at present serving at headquarters, will be Ambassador to Malta.

Cliona Manahan will be Ambassador to Denmark and John Neary, at present Ambassador to Japan, will be Ambassador to the Netherlands.

David Noonan will take over as Ambassador to Lithuania; Orla O’Hanrahan, the head of the protocol division, will be Ambassador to Sweden. Brendan Ward is the new Ambassador to Turkey and Mary Whelan will be Ambassador to Austria.