Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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6. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will change the criteria for selecting ambassadors in order that a broader range of people beyond those who have worked with his Department can be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27300/24]

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Tánaiste for taking this oral parliamentary question this morning. Will he give consideration to changing the selection criteria for the appointment of ambassadors in order that a broader range of people beyond those who work in the Department of Foreign Affairs could potentially be considered.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for tabling this question. I do not propose to change the criteria for the selection of Irish ambassadors. The legislative framework for diplomatic relations is governed by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, an international treaty that provides a framework for diplomatic relations between states. The Vienna Convention was ratified by Ireland in 1967 and incorporated into Irish law by the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act 1967.

Irish Ambassadors to countries abroad are appointed by the President on the advice of the Government following nomination by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Ireland has a successful tradition of a non-political Civil Service whose mission is based on the principles of integrity, impartiality, effectiveness, equity and accountability. Assignments as ambassador are drawn from existing officials and I believe it would be a mistake to change a system that has contributed to Ireland’s very strong international reputation.

Ireland has consistently demonstrated its capacity to exert influence and make a distinctive contribution on pressing issues such as peace and reconciliation on this island, leadership within the European Union and UN multilateral bodies, services for our diaspora and consular care as well as in the delivery of an excellent programme of international development. The women and men of the Department of Foreign Affairs who are appointed as ambassadors, acting under the direction of the Minister and Government of the day, have played a decisive role in these efforts.

In considering nominations of people to serve as ambassadors, a range of factors are taken into account, including political, economic and trade priorities and their skills and experiences for the role. In addition to considering people's relevant skills, gender balance is a further important consideration. I am pleased that more than half of Ireland's diplomatic missions abroad are headed by women. My Department will continue to work closely with Publicjobs.ie to build diversity in recruitment to ensure that the Department is representative of the people we represent.

Maybe the Deputy could outline what ideas he has in mind but it is important to point out there is a diversity of background coming into the service in the first instance which then gives a breadth and depth of available talent.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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A colleague quipped yesterday evening, "Are you looking for a way out of politics?". No, my plan is to go for the next general election, win a seat and hopefully gain another seat for our party in Clare. Back to the point, I agree there are so many talented people and Ireland has led the way particularly with female appointments. We have excellent ambassadors. Those of us in the Dáil who have had the pleasure of travelling overseas on official business would have always been greeted by Irish ambassadors who carry the flag for the nation overseas, who do an excellent job and who are supported by embassy staff.

The real point here is that there are many talented public servants outside the Department of Foreign Affairs. We are in unanimous agreement on that. Any Department I can think of would have excellent people working within it. Perhaps there could be a conversion course for them to switch across to the Department of Foreign Affairs and climb to the rank of ambassador. Indeed, there are former holders of elected office who have incredible diplomatic skills.

Then there are the many people who have represented Ireland in the business world and in the fields of sport and culture and who have proven leadership and acumen. There is a broader range of people and perhaps there is a pathway or conversion mechanism for them to be able to serve our people as ambassadors overseas.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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People can cross departmental lines. People move from other Departments into the Department of Foreign Affairs. For example, our ambassador in China would have been a Department of agriculture vet originally, which was very useful in the recent issues in China relating to veterinary matters, Irish beef and so on. Her experience was clearly on hand and very valuable. This is my second stint in the Department of Foreign Affairs. In all our lives, we build up experience on the job. Many young people, for example, worked on the Security Council during the two years of our stint. The experience they have got as young people is invaluable. You do not pick that up later on in life, coming from business, sport or whatever, the contacts and the understanding of how the UN works. Experience matters in diplomacy. It is like any other discipline in life; you learn on the job but you also have to learn the skills. I often feel that in our academic sphere, we do not give enough attention and focus to the value of diplomacy itself. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with all of the sentiments expressed by the Tánaiste. Diplomacy is a delicate skill that absolutely has to be always practised in the right way. It is good that there is a pathway for people in other Departments to transition across to the Department of Foreign Affairs. However, I again make the point that there are many people who represent Ireland, some of whom will be doing so in the Olympic sphere this summer. It is a different type of leadership and a different way of representing our country. There are many people who really carry the flag very well for Ireland. There are also people in this House who will not be coming back after the next election. Deputies on both sides of the House have already announced that they will be retiring. Some who have already served in political office would make excellent ambassadors.

In the context of Global Ireland 2025, the Tánaiste might briefly explain if there are further plans to place our diplomatic imprint on the world beyond that being made by our existing 69 embassies. Global Ireland 2025 is a fantastic initiative led by the Department of Foreign Affairs. The year 2025 is only a few months away. Beyond Bogotá, Amman, Santiago de Chile, Manila, Rabat, Kyiv and Monrovia, are there plans for other embassies?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I repeat that there are many pathways into the Department of Foreign Affairs and into ambassadorial positions. For example, people who would have worked in the area of development aid initially have moved into the Department and brought that experience to bear as ambassadors in Africa, the Middle East and so forth. We have very good examples of that also within the Department. I have been struck by the fact that those applying to join the Department come from all backgrounds - engineering, education, you name it. We have a good system and a good service. I would be a strong defender of the system we have and I would critically analyse any potential changes that might look good on the surface but that could erode the strengths of our diplomatic service.

In terms of future plans, we should distinguish between envoys and ambassadors. Eamon Gilmore, for example, was a very effective European Union envoy in Colombia in the context of the peace process there. My immediate focus now is on the western Balkans. We recently announced a number of proposed ambassadorial appointments there.