With the agreement of Government, the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin today (16 May 2023) appointed Ms. Sam des Forges to the External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces. This follows six previous appointments to the Body of; Professor Brian MacCraith as the Independent Chair Ms. Josephine Feehily (Independent member) Ms. Patricia King…
Europe Day 2023 marks the culmination of the Government’s EU50 programme which has been celebrating key milestones in the 50 years of Ireland’s EU membership since our decision to join the European Economic Community (EEC) on 22 January 1972. On Monday, 8 May, 28 Government Ministers and wider Oireachtas Members, accompanied by Ambassadors from European…
The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, and his wife Sabina have travelled to London to attend this weekend’s coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom. Their attendance follows an invitation received by President Higgins from King Charles. Ahead of the coronation, the President and Sabina will this evening attend…
Tree planting takes place ahead of May Day, at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Irish Labour History Society The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, today planted a tree and unveiled a commemorative plaque at Áras an Uachtaráin in memory of Tom Johnson, author of the Democratic Programme of the First…
Thank you for organising this conference, a centre-piece of the events to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. I am delighted to share this stage with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris-Heaton Harris. During this conference, and in other events over recent weeks, we have had an opportunity to remember not…
I am deeply disturbed by the news that military and armed militia forces in Sudan have commenced new rounds of fighting, launching attacks in civilian areas in Khartoum and across the country in Darfur, Kordofan and Northern State, once again resorting to violence in order to consolidate their control over the future of Sudan. The…
March was another record month at both Cork and Dublin airports with 181,000 passengers and 2.48 million travelling through each airport respectively, according to the airports’ operator daa. At Cork Airport, March has followed the trend set in January and February, with another impressive performance. Last weekend, Cork Airport surpassed 500,000 passengers in the year…
The Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin T.D., has announced plans for a Consultative Forum on International Security Policy. The Forum, which will take place in June 2023, will build a deeper understanding of the threats faced by the State, and the links to, and between, our foreign, security and…
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today launched the 2023 Community Centres Investment Fund, which will see €20 million invested in new and ambitious community projects in our towns and villages. For the first time, funding of at least €1 million will be invested in projects that are shovel ready and…
The Irish Prison Service in collaboration with the Department of Tourism & Hospitality at Munster Technological University, IASIO and Cork Education and Training Board were delighted to host the second a pop-up restaurant event, The Open Door Restaurant, in Cork Prison on Tuesday 28th, March 2023. The Practical Culinary Skills programme involves six prisoners who undertook an intensive…