# Department of Foreign Affairs

Last month

February 2023

Foreign crises: Inside the complex work of the Irish diplomatic team helping citizens in trouble

This week The Journal looked at the work of the consular assistance service provided by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

10.9k

Feb 13th 2023, 12:05 AM

Last year

2022

# Capel Street

Chinese ‘police station’ in Dublin ordered to close

The Department of Foreign Affairs said no request had been made to open the facility in advance.

70.3k

Oct 27th 2022, 10:03 PM

# Foreign Affairs

Breakfasts, photos & cancelled hotels: how Government spent almost €500k on travel in two years

The highest spender was the Department of Foreign Affairs, spending €166,553 on foreign travel since the Government was formed.

24.0k

Aug 16th 2022, 12:05 AM

# passport problems

'Spare me the apologies': Delays and missing birth certs among complaints about Passport Office

Details of people’s experiences after applying for a passport were released under FOI.

33.8k

Jul 27th 2022, 12:05 AM

# Courts

Extinction Rebellion activists guilty of graffiti attack on Dept of Foreign Affairs

The two activists were spared jail sentences but both have to pay €2,000 fine and a further €2,000 to the State.

11.6k

Jul 12th 2022, 5:58 PM

# Simon Coveney

Coveney praises Poland's 'incredible solidarity' during visit to discuss Ukraine

Coveney will meet his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau and speak to humanitarian organisations assisting those fleeing the war.

30.7k

Updated

Mar 18th 2022, 5:00 PM

# Ukrainian Ambassador

List of Irish companies ‘trading with Russia’ sent to Foreign Affairs Department

Ambassador Gerasko said she is awaiting a reply from President Zelenskyy on an offer to address the Oireachtas.

26.1k

Mar 15th 2022, 5:20 PM

# St Patrick's Day

Global Greening paused this year so monuments around the world can be lit in Ukrainian colours

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has written to all Irish embassies asking for monuments to be lit up in yellow and blue.

25.5k

Mar 10th 2022, 12:05 PM

# Racheal Diyaolu

Irish medical student who was stuck in Ukraine has reached EU border

Racheal Diyaolu’s sister Christiana confirmed the news on social media.

22.6k

Mar 9th 2022, 3:24 PM

# families

Babies born in Ukraine through surrogacy may be brought back to Ireland more quickly than usual

The Department of Foreign Affairs is working with parents whose babies are due to be born soon in Ukraine, where tensions with Russia are high.

14.7k

Feb 15th 2022, 8:00 PM

# Kyiv Embassy

Department of Foreign Affairs says 145 Irish citizens now registered with embassy in Ukraine

The department said that this number “may rise further over the coming days”.

6.4k

Feb 14th 2022, 4:36 PM

# Kyiv Embassy

50 Irish citizens register with embassy in Ukraine after being urged to leave country immediately

Ukraine today vowed to keep its airspace open to international travel.

21.0k

Updated

Feb 13th 2022, 4:19 PM

# travel advice

Irish citizens in Ukraine told to 'leave immediately by commercial means'

The Embassy of Ireland in Kyiv is to remain open for a small number of staff.

A number of countries, including Russia, have been pulling embassy staff from the Ukrainian capital.

US President Joe Biden is due to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin later today.

70.5k

Updated

Feb 12th 2022, 3:40 PM

# champagne gate

Coveney says Foreign Affairs gathering was 'a serious mistake that shouldn't have happened'

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said the review of the gathering published last night is “insufficient” and called for an independent investigation.

20.8k

Feb 1st 2022, 8:53 AM

# Foreign Affairs

DFA secretary general gave staff go-ahead to gather 'in the thick of it' to watch UN vote

The go-ahead was communicated in an email from Niall Burgess’s private secretary the day before the gathering.

14.8k

Jan 27th 2022, 7:56 AM

# Consular Assistance

Irish embassies provided help to over 1,200 citizens abroad last year

Figures released by the Department of Foreign Affairs show that 108 Irish citizens were evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021.

4.9k

Jan 25th 2022, 2:12 PM

# Foreign Affairs

Simon Coveney orders investigation into department lockdown gathering

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has ordered an investigation into a gathering of his officials in June 2020.

20.9k

Jan 17th 2022, 6:41 AM

All time

# champagne problems

Department of Foreign Affairs ‘let guard down’ in lockdown gathering

At least 20 officials and staff were pictured celebrating with champagne in an event at Iveagh House on 17 June 2020.

48.5k

Updated

Dec 29th 2021, 10:48 PM

# head count

Government spent €28,500 on four busts of John Hume 'to promote Ireland's political interests'

The busts were bought on behalf of the State’s diplomatic network.

15.7k

Dec 27th 2021, 6:00 AM

# Ambassadors

22 new Irish ambassadors and senior diplomats have been approved; 11 are women

Nine consuls general are also to be appointed in the UK, US, India, Canada and France.

23.6k

Dec 14th 2021, 6:14 PM

# Passports

'Pent-up demand' could see a record 1.75m passport applications to process next year

The number of passports has never even reached 1 million in a year before.

27.4k

Dec 6th 2021, 3:48 PM

# omicron

Repatriation flight for 156 people arrives in Ireland from Morocco

Morocco has banned all incoming flights for at least two weeks.

33.2k

Dec 5th 2021, 8:29 AM

# grounded

Repatriation flight arranged for Irish citizens following flight suspensions in Morocco

Flights to and from Morocco have been suspended until at least 13 December over Omicron fears.

27.8k

Dec 2nd 2021, 8:03 PM

# Irish in Ethiopia

Irish citizens advised to leave Ethiopia 'immediately'

Ethiopian authorities indicated that the decision was due to Ireland’s position on the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis there

45.6k

Nov 24th 2021, 4:28 PM

# document drop

Zapponegate: Ex-Minister texted Coveney to say thanks for 'incredible opportunity' in March

111 documents released by Coveney’s department today shed more light on the timeline of the process.

Coveney is due back before an Oireachtas committee tomorrow morning and has promised to answer questions on the documents.

Texts released today add further detail to the timeline surrounding the planned appointment of Zappone to the UN envoy role.

The document dump also includes a text from Zappone in the aftermath of the Merrion-gate controversy.

44.5k

129

Sep 6th 2021, 5:20 PM

# Irish in Afghanistan

Three more Irish people evacuated from Afghanistan

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said that a total of six Irish citizens have now left the country.

8.9k

Aug 20th 2021, 2:01 PM

# extinction rebellion

Climate activist spared trial over graffiti attack on government building

Extinction Rebellion Ireland members staged a protest outside the courthouse in support of Orla Murphy.

16.3k

May 25th 2021, 5:43 PM

# Diplomatic Immunity

Foreign diplomats have avoided prosecution for road traffic offences 12 times in the last two years

The diplomats were nabbed by gardaí across the country but granted immunity from prosecution.

Niall O'Connor's report looks at the amount of times diplomats have escaped traffic fines by using their diplomatic immunity.

The foreign embassy staff members were nabbed by gardaí across the country but granted immunity from prosecution.

According to documents obtained by The Journal, the Department of Foreign Affairs were notified 17 times either by gardaí or by embassies.

24.9k

May 24th 2021, 12:05 AM

# Passport Office

Woman's passport renewal in limbo after a five-month Covid delay, a tech glitch and 'no one to help'

The Galway woman is planning to leave the country next month, and has waited five months for her 10-year-old son’s passport to be renewed.

54.3k

May 18th 2021, 3:15 PM

# Iveagh House

Man and woman charged after government building in Dublin city covered in graffiti

Graffiti was daubed on the front of Iveagh House, the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs, earlier today.

47.7k

Mar 19th 2021, 9:05 PM

# Passports

Department of Foreign Affairs dismisses worker for issuing fraudulent passports after five-year paid suspension

The worker was eventually dismissed in December 2019 after the suspension.

52.3k

Feb 19th 2021, 3:06 PM

# Department of Foreign Affairs

Number of Irish passports issued this year fell by 60%

The most popular baby girls’ names were Olivia, Mia and Saoirse, while Noah, Adam and Cillian topped the baby boys’ list.

18.7k

Dec 28th 2020, 6:10 AM

# Lagos

Minister Simon Coveney calls on Nigerian authorities to investigate violence against protesters

Amnesty International said that at least 12 peaceful protesters were killed in an incident involving the Nigerian army this week.

17.3k

Oct 24th 2020, 8:30 AM

# Repatriation

Government received over 20,000 queries from Irish citizens abroad during Covid-19 pandemic

Irish government spent €890,000 on flights to repatriate citizens from Peru, India and Nigeria this year.

14.6k

Jul 24th 2020, 12:05 AM

# green list

Travel agents warn list 'could invalidate insurance' for flights previously booked to green locations

The much-anticipated ‘green list’ of countries was published last night.

26.0k

Jul 22nd 2020, 8:37 AM

# Australia

Medics among 170 Irish citizens travelling from Perth back to Ireland today

There are around 2,000 Irish citizens stranded in 83 countries around the world – most of these are in Australia.

39.2k

Mar 26th 2020, 1:31 PM

# stranded abroad

'This eclipses the shutdowns following 9/11': The battle to get 2,000 Irish citizens home

The majority of stranded Irish citizens are in Australia or New Zealand, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

56.2k

Updated

Mar 25th 2020, 9:36 PM

# Coronavirus

Irish citizen stranded in Peru: 'We'll figure out how to get the money for flights home'

The Irish government is gauging interest from the estimated 100 Irish people on who want to fly home this weekend.

24.1k

Mar 20th 2020, 2:24 PM

# not going green

Countries around the world are assessing Covid-19's impact on St Patrick's Day celebrations

In some countries, St Patrick’s Day events have already been cancelled.

34.3k

Feb 27th 2020, 6:00 AM

# Covid-19

Coronavirus spreads to southern Italy as Switzerland, Austria and Croatia report cases

Here at home the National Public Health Emergency Team is meeting to monitor the situation and advance preparedness plans.

95.4k

Updated

Feb 25th 2020, 3:20 PM