Cathal Crowe
Question:15. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the main policy achievements of her Department since 22 January 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23077/26]
View answerWednesday, 25 March 2026
Questions (15)
Written answers
Over the last fourteen 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. In 2025, the Passport Service issued over 900,000 passports 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. The Department also worked to further strengthen the provision of consular assistance and services, including through consular crisis preparedness, the importance of which was underlined by the significant consular support operation for citizens affected by conflict across the Gulf and Middle East.
The Government has continued to engage with Irish citizens and communities overseas to further deepen their connection to Ireland. The Emigrant Support Programme allocated just under €15.5m in grants to diaspora related projects in the 2025-2026 grant year. 2025 saw a substantial consultation process, led by Minister of State Richmond, with our diaspora around the world to feed into the Government’s new diaspora strategy, which will be launched shortly.
Peace and reconciliation on our island remain a core policy priority. Last September, 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.
Earlier this month, I launched a new Strategy for the Reconciliation Fund (2026-29). The Reconciliation Fund continues to play an essential role in demonstrating the Government’s commitment to peace and reconciliation across the island, supporting over 200 projects in 2025 with an increased budget of €8 million for 2026. The Department, including through the Secretariat in Armagh, has supported the work of the North South Ministerial Council.
The Department successfully rolled out the fourth round of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund in 2025, with an increased annual budget of €2 million - and a further €2 million will be dispersed over 2026. I was glad to launch the 'Shared Homeplace: Diaspora Voices' initiative as part of the Shared Homeplace dialogue programme in Boston earlier this month.
Ireland has continued to strengthen our bilateral relationships with our neighbours. Earlier this month, the second annual UK-Ireland summit was held in Cork, furthering the implementation of the UK-Ireland 2030 programme. The Ireland-Wales Shared Statement 2030 and the Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Cooperation Framework 2030 launched in 2025 and are being progressively implemented for mutual benefit.
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; 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, including EU enlargement and engagement with candidate countries; upholding the rule of law across the Union; and EU-UK relations.
We have deepened our relations with European partners, including through the agreement of the France-Ireland 2026-2030 Joint Strategic Framework in January, and the launch of the refreshed Nordic-Baltic Strategy last December. My Department has significantly advanced preparations across Government for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of this year.
My Department continued to actively promote peace, security and the protection of human rights abroad. This included strong political, humanitarian, economic and non-lethal military support to Ukraine. During the visit of President Zelenskyy last November, 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 brought the total amount of non-lethal military support to Ukraine committed in 2025 to €200 million.
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. In July 2025, Ireland played a significant role in the UN High Level Conference and the New York Declaration setting out key actions and principles in support of the two-State Solution. Ireland has engaged as a member of the core group of states driving the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, hosting the eight meeting of the Alliance in Dublin in January.
In response to recent conflict in the Middle East, I continue to call on all parties to step back, de-escalate, halt attacks, and create the space for dialogue that can lead to lasting diplomatic solutions. My Department recently announced €3 million in humanitarian funding to support people affected by the worsening crisis in Lebanon.
Support for the multilateral system and the international legal order, with the UN Charter at its heart, has remained a central focus. Ireland launched its campaign for election to a seat on the Human Rights Council from 2027 to 2029 last November, demonstrating our commitment to the promotion of human rights in a period where human rights norms are facing considerable pushback. 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 approaches. To advance these priorities, we remain actively engaged in shaping the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and its Common Security and Defence Policy, and through a wide range of multilateral institutions, including the UN, OSCE, OECD and the Council of Europe.
We have maintained a constant commitment to climate action, gender equality, and the reduction of poverty, hunger and humanitarian need as outlined in A Better World. The Government allocated €810.3 million for the International Cooperation Vote in 2025, the largest ever allocation of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to date, and over €56m in additional financial resources has been allocated to this Vote for 2026. At the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris in March last year, Ireland pledged to spend €250 million on nutrition interventions annually for the next four years. My Department led on a World Health Assembly resolution to extend the targets of the Comprehensive Implementation Plan on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition to 2030. In 2025, 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 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 2025 and hosted two meetings of senior officials.
The Department's climate diplomacy and climate financing continued to be scaled up and we remained fully on track to reach our target of €225m in climate finance per year to developing countries by 2025. At COP30, my Department collaborated with colleagues in DCEE and other government departments 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.
My Department continues to deepen Ireland’s global engagement and drive Ireland’s trade and prosperity. Earlier this month, DFAT coordinated the 2026 St Patrick’s Day programme, which saw representatives of the State travel to more than 50 countries to promote Ireland, Irish values and interests across the world. The theme for St Patrick’s Day highlighted Ireland’s place in the world as a small, open trading economy.
Ireland’s invitation to participate in South Africa’s presidency of the G20 in 2025 saw Ministerial-level participation across 18 meetings, as well as the Taoiseach's attendance at the Leaders' Summit. This resulted in significant opportunities for wider bilateral engagements in South Africa and the opportunity to participate in the G20 Development Ministerial meetings to 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 US administration. 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 four new missions. These are embassies in Belgrade, Chisinau and Sarajevo, and a consulate general in Melbourne. Preparations are underway for the opening of a consulate general in Málaga later this year.
The Government Trade Forum, which I chair, was established last year and has met on eleven occasions since then. The new Action Plan on Market Diversification was launched last August, 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 published the new International Sports Diplomacy Framework in May 2025 and a new International Sports Diplomacy Strategy in February. As the Global Ireland 2025 strategy has concluded, my Department is contributing to the development of Global Ireland 2040, a Programme for Government commitment.
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.