Departmental Bodies

Tuesday, 10 February 2026

Questions (265)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

265. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide details of all active interdepartmental, interagency, and department-agency working groups organised under her remit. [10155/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

The following active interdepartmental, interagency and department-agency working groups fall within the remit of my Department. Where working groups are the joint responsibility of my Department and other Departments, this has also been noted.

Working Group	Details
Asia Pacific Strategy Stakeholder Forum	The Asia Pacific Strategy Stakeholder Forum chaired by DFAT includes representatives from Government Departments and State Agencies working in the region.
Common Travel Area (CTA) Plenary	The CTA Plenary is chaired by DFAT, with representatives from D/Justice, D/Health, D/Social Protection, D/Education and D/FHERIS.
Common Travel Area (CTA) Pre-Plenary	Chaired by DFAT, this is an interdepartmental pre-plenary meeting that takes place prior to the CTA Plenary with Government Departments.
Cross-Departmental International Sanctions Committee (CDISC)	CDISC is chaired by DFAT and attended by D/Finance, D/ETE, and the Central Bank.
Cross-Governmental India Action Plan Steering Group	Representatives from across Departments and State Agencies participate in the work of this steering group, which meets on a bi-annual basis and is chaired by DFAT.
DFAT-OPW EU Presidency Co-Ordination Group	DFAT and OPW co-chair this EU Presidency Co-ordination Group.
EU Presidency Aviation Stakeholders Group	The EU Presidency Aviation Stakeholders Group comprises representatives from DFAT, D/Transport, Irish Aviation Authority, Dublin Airport Authority and An Garda Síochána.
EU Presidency Communications sub-group	The EU Presidency Communications sub-group is chaired by DFAT with representatives from all Government Departments
European Coordinators Network	The EU Coordinators’ Network (ECN) is an interdepartmental Senior Official-level group, chaired by DFAT.
European Political Community and Informal European Council Operational Steering Group	The Steering Group is chaired by DFAT with representatives across Departments and deals with operational planning matters relating to the delivery of the European Political Community and informal European Council meetings due to be held in Ireland during the EU Presidency.
G20 Interdepartmental Committee	The G20 Interdepartmental Committee is chaired by DFAT with representatives across Departments.
Global Ireland Senior Officials Group (SOG) Subcommittee on International Communications	Chaired by DFAT, this is an interdepartmental group which also includes relevant State Agencies.
Government Trade Forum	Chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, membership of the Government Trade Forum includes the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and other Ministers and senior officials of relevant Government Departments, as well as State Agencies, business representative groups and the trade union sector.
Headquarters Market Team	The Headquarters Market Team is a cross-departmental working group co-chaired by D/ETE and DFAT. Its membership consists of senior officials from D/ETE, DFAT and other relevant Government Departments, and representatives from trade-facing State Agencies.
High Level Group on EU Policy	Chaired by DFAT, the High Level Group on EU Policy is a meeting of Assistant Secretaries across the whole of Government
Interdepartmental Committee on Climate Finance	Chaired by DFAT, the Interdepartmental Group on Committee on Climate and Finance consists of representative from the DFAT, DCEE, D/Finance, and DAFM. It is a sub-group of the Interdepartmental Group on Committee on Development Cooperation
Interdepartmental Committee on Development Cooperation	Chaired by DFAT, the Committee consists of representatives from DFAT, DCEE, D/Finance, and DAFM.
Interdepartmental Committee on Disarmament and Non-proliferation	The Interdepartmental Committee on Disarmament and Non-proliferation is chaired by DFAT and attended by An Garda Síochána, Defence Forces, D/Defence, DETE, DECC, DAFM, D/Health, D/Finance, D/Justice, EPA, HSA, HSE and the Revenue Commissioners.
Interdepartmental Committee on EU Engagement	The Interdepartmental Committee on EU Engagement (ICEE), which meets quarterly, is chaired by the Minister of State for European Affairs,
Interdepartmental Committee on Human Rights	The Interdepartmental Committee on Human Rights is an interdepartmental committee chaired by DFAT, which all of Government attends.
Interdepartmental Committee on the Irish Abroad	Chaired by the Minister of State for International Development & Diaspora, membership of the Interdepartmental Committee on the Irish Abroad consists of representatives of key Government Departments, State Agencies and non-governmental organisations active in this area.
Interdepartmental Group on Internet Governance and International Cyber Policy	The Interdepartmental Group on Internet Governance and International Cyber Policy is chaired by DFAT and attended by D/Defence, D/Justice, PR Brussels, Defence Forces, and D/ETE
Interdepartmental Group on Staffing in International Institutions	Chaired by DFAT, the Committee on the Staffing of EU Organisations meets two to three times a year.
Interdepartmental Group on Operational Presidency Planning	Chaired by DFAT, the Interdepartmental Group on Operational Presidency Planning involves participation from all Government Departments.
Interdepartmental Group on Policy Presidency Planning	Chaired by DFAT, the Interdepartmental Group on Policy Presidency Planning and involves participation from all Government Departments. A quarterly meeting of the Group, chaired by the Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, reviews overall progress in Presidency preparations.
Interdepartmental Group on Ukraine	Chaired by DFAT, membership of the group is drawn from across DFAT and other Departments D/Taoiseach, D/ETE, D/TCAGSM, D/Justice, D/Transport, D/Finance, D/Health. It is scheduled to meet three times per year.
Interdepartmental Visa Coordination Group (IDVCG)	The IDVCG is jointly organised between DFAT and D/Justice.
Ireland Africa Rural Development Committee (IARDC)	The IARDC is independently chaired and managed by DFAT and DAFM. The IARDC comprises representatives from DFAT and DAFM, as well as the relevant State Agencies, the private sector, academia and the African community in Ireland.
Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence	The Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence is a network bringing together 14 partners in an Irish-based alliance of international human rights, humanitarian and development organisations, including international NGOs, DFAT and the Defence Forces. The Chair rotates amongst members of the network.
Irish Forum for International Agricultural Development (IFIAD)	DFAT and DAFM are both members of the Forum and sit on its Steering Committee together with a number of NGOs, academic institutions and farmers organisations.
National Committee on International Humanitarian Law (IHL)	DFAT chairs the National Committee on International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Representatives of a number of Departments attend the meetings regularly, including DFAT, D/Defence, the Defence Forces; D/Housing and the Office of the Attorney General. The Irish Red Cross also regularly attends.
North-South Coordinators Group	The Interdepartmental North South Coordinators Group is chaired by DFAT, with attendance from across all Irish Government Departments. Meetings take place 3-4 times per year, alternatively in-person and online
OECD Interdepartmental Committee	The OECD Interdepartmental Committee is chaired by DFAT at official level with representatives across Departments.
Oversight Group on Ireland’s Fourth National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS)	Half of the members of the Oversight Group are representatives of Departments and agencies with responsibilities under the NAP, nominated by their Department/agencies. The other half are representatives of civil society organisations and academia working on WPS issues, appointed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. It is chaired by an independent Chair appointed by the Minister.