IN A major diplomatic reshuffle, 24 new ambassador-level appointments were approved by the Cabinet yesterday. Subject to agreement by the host governments, which is normally a formality, new heads of mission will take over in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid and other capitals.
Some of the more high-profile appointments include a move to New York as ambassador, or permanent representative, to the United Nations in New York for current ambassador to France, Anne Anderson.
Ambassador Bobby McDonagh moves to London from Brussels where he is currently permanent representative to the European Union.
John Paul Kavanagh moves to Paris as ambassador from his current position as head of the Irish mission at UN headquarters.
Dan Mulhall, who currently heads the EU division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, moves to Berlin as ambassador but this will not take place until after the second Lisbon referendum.
He will be replaced in the EU division by Peter Gunning, currently ambassador to Spain.
Current ambassador to Germany David Donoghue returns to Dublin to the key post of political director in the department.
The current political director, Rory Montgomery, moves to Brussels as ambassador, or permanent representative, to the EU.
The new ambassador to Zambia is Tony Cotter, currently a senior official in the department’s overseas aid division and previously special adviser to John O’Donoghue when the Ceann Comhairle was minister for arts, sport and tourism.
The present head of the Anglo-Irish Division, Pat Hennessy, becomes ambassador to Italy where he succeeds Seán Ó hUigínn, one of the country’s most eminent diplomats and a key architect of the Northern Ireland peace process, who is now due to retire.
Mr Hennessy’s successor in Anglo-Irish is Adrian O’Neill, currently head of administration in the department.
Ambassador Richard Ryan, who was a key figure in the diplomatic moves behind the Anglo-Irish Agreement, moves from the Netherlands to the Czech Republic.
The new embassy to the United Arab Emirates will be headed by Ciarán Madden, former press officer, who was involved in drafting the White Paper on Irish Aid launched in 2006.
Other ambassadorial appointments include (current positions in brackets): Donal Hamill – Stockholm (from Prague); Niall Holohan – Riyadh (currently joint secretary, North-South Ministerial Council, Armagh); Éamonn Hickey – Mexico (from departmental headquarters); Tony Mannix – Berne (from Ankara); and Eamonn McKee – Seoul (from HQ).
Mary Whelan takes up a posting at The Hague (from HQ); Justin Harmon – Madrid (from Moscow); Dermot Brangan – Helsinki (from Mexico); and Tom Russell – Ankara (from Riyadh).
Breifne O’Reilly moves to – Tel Aviv (from HQ); Richard Ryan – Prague (from The Hague); Brendan McMahon – Riga, Latvia (from HQ); and Keith McBean – Political and Security Committee in Brussels (from permanent representation).
A spokesman for the department said Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin planned to convene a meeting of all the new ambassadors which would be focused on the role of the different embassies in promoting Ireland’s economic interests abroad.
This is in line with the Minister’s announcement during a visit to Mexico earlier this month that a special unit had been established in the department for the promotion of Ireland’s economic and trade links overseas.
