Cathal Crowe
Question:89. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the main policy achievements of her Department since 22 January 2025 [70524/25]
View answerWednesday, 10 December 2025
Questions (89)
Written answers
Over the last eleven months, my Department has achieved progress across a number of policy areas, framed by our commitments under the Programme for Government, and the Department’s Statement of Strategy.
Serving our citizens and strengthening our communities abroad is a priority for my Department. The Passport Service has issued over 900,000 passports so far in 2025 and has successfully met high demand, with turnaround times at, or ahead, of target for virtually all application types. The majority of online adult renewal applications consistently issue within two working days.
Throughout 2025, the Government continued its engagement with Irish citizens and communities overseas to further deepen their connection to Ireland. This work was supported by the Emigrant Support Programme which allocated just under €16.5m in grants to diaspora related projects. 2025 saw a substantial consultation process, led by Minister of State Richmond, with our diaspora around the world to ensure they could contribute to the Government’s new diaspora strategy which will be launched next year. An associated Global Irish Survey received over 10,000 responses.
Peace and reconciliation on our island remains a core priority. On 19 September 2025, the Tánaiste and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland published The Legacy of the Troubles: A Joint Framework, a comprehensive package designed to provide truth, accountability and, where possible, justice for victims and families who have lost loved ones. The Reconciliation Fund continues to play an essential role in demonstrating the Government’s commitment to peace and reconciliation across the island, supporting in excess of 180 projects this year. The Department has supported the work of the North South Ministerial Council and the Secretariat in Armagh, and successfully rolled out the fourth round of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund, with an increased annual budget of €2 million.
Ireland has continued to build strong bilateral relationships with our neighbours in this period. This included the development of the Ireland-Wales Shared Statement 2030 and the Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Cooperation Framework 2030 which were launched in July and November respectively. In addition, agreement was made on a new strategic partnership between Irish and UK cultural institutions as a priority initiative within the UK-Ireland 2030 work programme.
Deepening our EU relationships and our influence at EU level has also been a central focus. My Department has advanced Ireland’s policy positions on key EU files such as the next EU multi-annual financial framework; the future of the EU single market and competitiveness, in follow on from the Draghi and Letta reports; the simplification of EU legislation and regulation; the EU’s preparedness union strategy; and the EU democracy package. My Department has ensured Ireland’s input into key EU policy areas, such as the process of enlargement of the Union and engagement with candidate countries; the upholding of the rule of law across the Union; and the development of EU-UK relations. At the same time, my Department has significantly advanced preparations across Government for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2026.
My Department continued its active diplomatic engagement in promoting peace, security and the protection of human rights abroad. This included engaging in international efforts to bring an end to Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. We continued to demonstrate our strong solidarity for Ukraine, including through the delivery of a successful visit of President Zelenskyy in November. During that visit the Taoiseach and President Zelenskyy agreed a 2030 Roadmap on Ukraine-Ireland partnership and the Taoiseach announced an additional €100 million for the provision of non-lethal military support for Ukraine. This brings the total amount of non-lethal military support to Ukraine committed in 2025 to €200 million.
Responding to the conflict in the Middle East also continued to be a priority. The Government consistently advocated at EU and UN level for the two-State solution, and the equal right to self-determination, peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike, as well as full adherence to international law and international humanitarian law in the Middle East. This included engagement as part of the core group of states driving the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. Ireland also played a significant role in the preparation and outcome of the UN High Level Conference which produced the New York Declaration setting out key actions and principles in support of the two-State Solution and endorsed by 142 Member States.
Throughout 2025, my Department continued to prioritise reinforcing the multilateral system and the international legal order, with the UN Charter at its heart. The promotion of human rights in a period where human rights norms are facing considerable pushback was a priority. Ireland’s campaign for election to a seat on the Human Rights Council from 2027 to 2029 was launched in November. My Department also prioritised engagement in support of a stable and secure international environment, through conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding; disarmament and non-proliferation, and promoting the resolution of disputes through multilateral diplomacy based on the principles of the UN Charter. To advance these priorities, we actively engaged in shaping the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, and its Common Security and Defence Policy, through a wide range of multilateral institutions, including the UN, OSCE, OECD and the Council of Europe.
Our commitment to climate action, gender equality, and the reduction of poverty, hunger and humanitarian need as outlined in A Better World has remained constant. The Government allocated €810.3 million for the International Cooperation Vote in 2025, the largest ever allocation of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to date. At the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris, Ireland made an ambitious pledge to spend €250 million on nutrition interventions annually for the next four years. At the World Health Assembly, my Department led on a resolution to extend the targets of the Comprehensive Implementation Plan on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition to 2030. This year, Ireland pledged €22 million in funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and €72 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. My Department led preparations for the 2025 Global Disability Summit in Berlin, the Second World Summit on Social Development, and negotiations for the declaration for the UN Financing for Development Conference in Seville in July. Ireland assumed the role of chair of the Nordic+ group of Development Agencies in May this year and have hosted two meetings of senior officials.
My Department also continues to support, coordinate, shape and scale-up the Department's climate diplomacy and climate financing, including through relevant international processes and remaining on target to reach €225m in climate finance by 2025. As part of our climate diplomacy efforts, we collaborated with colleagues in DCEE and other government departments at COP30 to secure a final consensus agreement. While the outcome did not reach the highest level of ambition, it provides clear and strong directional guidance for future progress.
Ireland participated in the G20 this year as a guest country of South Africa’s Presidency. The Ministerial-level participation, across 18 meetings as well as the Taoiseach's attendance at the Leaders' Summit, resulted in significant opportunities for wider bilateral engagements in South Africa. It also provided the opportunity to participate in the G20 Development Ministerial meetings and advance global action on social protection, illicit financial flows, women’s empowerment, food security and disaster risk resilience.
The Department worked to strengthen Ireland’s political, cultural and mutually beneficial economic relations with the United States, including by building links with the administration of President Trump. The Ireland-Japan 2025 programme brought new momentum in Ireland-Japan relations, with the Taoiseach and seven other Ministers visiting Japan, the opening of Ireland House in Tokyo, and Ireland’s successful participation in Expo 2025 in Osaka.
Since January 2025, under Global Ireland commitments, we have opened three new missions. These are embassies in Belgrade, Chisinau and Sarajevo. Planning is also well underway for the opening in 2026 of Consulates General in Málaga and Melbourne.
The Government Trade Forum was established this year in February and has met on nine occasions in 2025. In August, the Government launched the new Action Plan on Market Diversification, with over 100 actions across Government Departments and State Agencies, with the ultimate objective of supporting businesses to achieve their market diversification ambitions.
The Government recently published the new International Sports Diplomacy Framework in May and a new International Sports Diplomacy Strategy is under development. The Global Ireland 2025 strategy concludes this year, with a final review under development which will form the basis of Global Ireland 2040, a Programme for Government commitment, with work to begin on it in 2026.
The commitment to improve capacity and capability within my Department continues and is guided by a number of strategies, including the DFAT Human Resources Strategy 2023 – 2027, which drives implementation of a range of policies to support our staff, including a new Learning and Development Framework, a Gender, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan, and a Blended Working Policy for HQ and Abroad.
My Department has continued to deliver on behalf of Irish citizens at home and abroad during this period. I would also refer to the Department’s annual reports, which provide a comprehensive overview of our work.