Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

Irish government cabinet minister

Minister for Foreign Affairs
and Trade

Incumbent
Simon Harris

since 23 January 2025

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Type|

* Foreign affairs minister
* Trade minister

Status| Cabinet minister
Member of|

* Government of Ireland
* Council of the European Union
* Dáil Éireann

Reports to| Taoiseach
Seat| Iveagh House, Dublin, Ireland
Nominator| Taoiseach
Appointer| President of Ireland
(on the advice of the Taoiseach)
Inaugural holder| George Noble Plunkett
Formation| 22 January 1919
Salary| €210,750 (2025)[1]
(including €115,953 TD salary)[2]
Website| Official website

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (Irish: An tAire Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

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 Simon Harris, TD. He is also Minister for Defence.

He is assisted by:

* Thomas Byrne, TD – Minister of State for European Affairs
* Neale Richmond, TD – Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora

## Overview

[edit]

Iveagh House, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ireland

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."[3]

## List of officeholders

[edit]

Denotes acting Minister

### Minister for Foreign Affairs 1919–1922

[edit]

Name  | Term of office  | Party  | Government(s)[a]
George Noble Plunkett | 22 January 1919  | 26 August 1921  |  | Sinn Féin | 1st DM • 2nd DM
Arthur Griffith[b]
(1st time) | 26 August 1921  | 9 January 1922  |  | Sinn Féin | 3rd DM
George Gavan Duffy | 10 January 1922  | 25 July 1922  |  | Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) | 4th DM • 1st PG
Arthur Griffith
(2nd time) | 26 July 1922  | 12 August 1922  |  | Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) | 4th DM • 1st PG
Michael Hayes (acting) | 21 August 1922  | 9 September 1922  |  | Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) | 4th DM • 1st PG

### Minister for External Affairs 1922–1971

[edit]

Name  | Term of office  | Party  | Government(s)
Desmond FitzGerald | 30 August 1922  | 23 June 1927  |  | Cumann na nGaedheal | 2nd PG • 5th DM • 1st EC • 2nd EC
Kevin O'Higgins | 23 June 1927  | 10 July 1927  |  | Cumann na nGaedheal | 3rd EC
W. T. Cosgrave (acting) | 10 July 1927  | 11 October 1927  |  | Cumann na nGaedheal | 3rd EC
Patrick McGilligan | 11 October 1927  | 9 March 1932  |  | Cumann na nGaedheal | 4th EC • 5th EC
Éamon de Valera[c] | 9 March 1932  | 18 February 1948  |  | Fianna Fáil | 6th EC • 7th EC • 8th EC • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th
Seán MacBride | 18 February 1948  | 13 June 1951  |  | Clann na Poblachta | 5th
Frank Aiken
(1st time) | 13 June 1951  | 2 June 1954  |  | Fianna Fáil | 6th
Liam Cosgrave | 2 June 1954  | 20 March 1957  |  | Fine Gael | 7th
Frank Aiken
(2nd time) | 20 March 1957  | 2 July 1969  |  | Fianna Fáil | 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th
Patrick Hillery | 2 July 1969  | 3 March 1971  |  | Fianna Fáil | 13th

### Minister for Foreign Affairs 1971–2011

[edit]

Name  | Term of office  | Party  | Government(s)
Patrick Hillery | 3 March 1971  | 3 January 1973  |  | Fianna Fáil | 13th
Brian Lenihan
(1st time) | 3 January 1973  | 14 March 1973  |  | Fianna Fáil | 13th
Garret FitzGerald | 14 March 1973  | 5 July 1977  |  | Fine Gael | 14th
Michael O'Kennedy | 5 July 1977  | 11 December 1979  |  | Fianna Fáil | 15th
Brian Lenihan
(2nd time) | 12 December 1979  | 30 June 1981  |  | Fianna Fáil | 16th
John Kelly (acting)[d] | 30 June 1981  | 21 October 1981  |  | Fine Gael | 17th
James Dooge | 21 October 1981  | 9 March 1982  |  | Fine Gael | 17th
Gerry Collins
(1st time) | 9 March 1982  | 14 December 1982  |  | Fianna Fáil | 18th
Peter Barry | 14 December 1982  | 10 March 1987  |  | Fine Gael | 19th
Brian Lenihan
(3rd time) | 10 March 1987  | 12 July 1989  |  | Fianna Fáil | 20th
Gerry Collins
(2nd time) | 12 July 1989  | 11 February 1992  |  | Fianna Fáil | 21st
David Andrews
(1st time) | 11 February 1992  | 12 January 1993  |  | Fianna Fáil | 22nd
Dick Spring
(1st time) | 12 January 1993  | 17 November 1994  |  | Labour | 23rd
Albert Reynolds (acting) | 18 November 1994  | 15 December 1994  |  | Fianna Fáil | 23rd
Dick Spring
(2nd time) | 15 December 1994  | 26 June 1997  |  | Labour | 24th
Ray Burke | 26 June 1997  | 7 October 1997  |  | Fianna Fáil | 25th
David Andrews
(2nd time) | 8 October 1997  | 27 January 2000  |  | Fianna Fáil | 25th
Brian Cowen | 27 January 2000  | 29 September 2004  |  | Fianna Fáil | 25th • 26th
Dermot Ahern | 29 September 2004  | 7 May 2008  |  | Fianna Fáil | 26th • 27th
Micheál Martin | 7 May 2008  | 19 January 2011  |  | Fianna Fáil | 28th
Brian Cowen
(2nd time) | 19 January 2011  | 9 March 2011  |  | Fianna Fáil | 28th
Eamon Gilmore | 9 March 2011  | 2 June 2011  |  | Labour | 29th

### Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade 2011–2020

[edit]

Name  | Term of office  | Party  | Government(s)
Eamon Gilmore | 2 June 2011  | 11 July 2014  |  | Labour | 29th
Charles Flanagan | 11 July 2014  | 14 June 2017  |  | Fine Gael | 29th • 30th
Simon Coveney[e] | 14 June 2017  | 24 September 2020  |  | Fine Gael | 31st • 32nd

### Minister for Foreign Affairs 2020–2025

[edit]

Name  | Term of office  | Party  | Government(s)
Simon Coveney[e] | 24 September 2020  | 17 December 2022  |  | Fine Gael | 32nd
Micheál Martin
(2nd time) | 17 December 2022  | 23 January 2025  |  | Fianna Fáil | 33rd • 34th

### Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade 2025–present

[edit]

Name  | Term of office  | Party  | Government(s)
Simon Harris | 23 January 2025  | Incumbent |  | Fine Gael | 35th

Notes

1. ^ Before 1937: DM – Dáil Ministry; PG – Provisional Government; EC – Executive Council.
2. ^ On the first occasion he held the foreign affairs portfolio, Arthur Griffith's title was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
3. ^ Éamon de Valera, who was head of government (President of the Executive Council until 1937, renamed Taoiseach in 1937) served as his own foreign minister.
4. ^ John Kelly, who was also Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism, was named as acting Minister for Foreign Affairs until Dooge was appointed to Seanad Éireann and later appointed as minister.
5. ^ a b Also Minister for Defence from 27 June 2020.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Salaries". 3 March 2025.
2. ^ "Salaries". 3 March 2025.
3. ^ "Department of Foreign Affairs: The Role of the Department". Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2012.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

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