Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs

The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Government of Ireland who may perform functions delegated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. A Minister of State does not hold cabinet rank.

There are currently two Ministers of State:

• Neale Richmond, TD – Minister of State with special responsibility for International development and the diaspora; and
• Thomas Byrne, TD – Minister of State with special responsibility for European Affairs.

List of parliamentary secretaries

Name	Term of office		Party		Government
Patrick Little	1 March 1933	27 September 1939		Fianna Fáil	7th EC  • 8th EC  • 1st  • 2nd
Paddy Smith	27 September 1939	1 July 1943		Fianna Fáil	2nd
Name	Term of office		Party		Government
David Andrews	5 July 1977	1 January 1978		Fianna Fáil	15th

List of ministers of state

Name	Term of office		Party		Responsibilities	Government
David Andrews	1 January 1978	11 December 1979		Fianna Fáil		15th
Jim O'Keeffe	30 June 1981	9 March 1982		Fine Gael	Overseas development	17th [1]
	16 December 1982	13 February 1986				19th [2]
George Birmingham	13 February 1986	10 March 1987		Fine Gael	European Affairs and Development Co-operation
Seán Calleary	12 March 1987	12 July 1989		Fianna Fáil	Overseas Aid	20th [3]
	19 July 1989	11 February 1992				21st [4]
Brendan Daly	13 February 1992	12 January 1993		Fianna Fáil		22nd [5]
Tom Kitt	14 January 1993	15 December 1994		Fianna Fáil	European Affairs and Overseas development assistance	23rd [6]
Joan Burton	20 December 1994	26 June 1997		Labour	Overseas development assistance	24th [7]
Gay Mitchell	20 December 1994	26 June 1997		Fine Gael	European Affairs
Liz O'Donnell	1 July 1997	6 June 2002		Progressive Democrats	Overseas development assistance and Human rights	25th [8]
Dick Roche	6 June 2002	29 September 2004		Fianna Fáil	European Affairs	26th [9] [10]
Tom Kitt	19 June 2002	29 September 2004		Fianna Fáil	Overseas development and Human rights
Conor Lenihan	5 October 2004	20 June 2007		Fianna Fáil	Overseas development
Noel Treacy	29 September 2004	20 June 2007		Fianna Fáil	European Affairs
Michael Kitt	20 June 2007	13 May 2008		Fianna Fáil	Overseas development	27th [11]
Dick Roche	14 June 2007	9 March 2011		Fianna Fáil	European Affairs	27th  • 28th
Peter Power	13 May 2008	9 March 2011		Fianna Fáil	Overseas development	28th [12]
Name	Term of office		Party		Responsibilities	Government
Jan O'Sullivan	10 March 2011	20 December 2011		Labour	Trade and Development	29th [13] [14]
Lucinda Creighton	10 March 2011	11 July 2013		Fine Gael	European Affairs
Joe Costello	20 December 2011	15 July 2014		Labour	Trade and Development
Paschal Donohoe	12 July 2013	11 July 2014		Fine Gael	European Affairs
Seán Sherlock	15 July 2014	6 May 2016		Labour	Overseas development aid, trade promotion and North–South co-operation
Jimmy Deenihan	15 July 2014	6 May 2016		Fine Gael	Diaspora
Dara Murphy	15 July 2014	6 May 2016		Fine Gael	European Affairs
	20 May 2016	20 June 2017				30th [15]
Joe McHugh	19 May 2016	16 June 2017		Fine Gael	Diaspora and overseas development aid
Ciarán Cannon	20 June 2017	27 June 2020		Fine Gael	Diaspora and international development	31st [16]
Helen McEntee	20 June 2017	27 June 2020		Fine Gael	European Affairs
Name	Term of office		Party		Responsibilities	Government
Colm Brophy	1 July 2020	17 December 2022		Fine Gael	Overseas development aid and the diaspora	32nd [17]
Thomas Byrne	1 July 2020	17 December 2022		Fianna Fáil	European Affairs
Peter Burke	21 December 2022	9 April 2024		Fine Gael	European Affairs	33rd [18]
Seán Fleming	21 December 2022	9 April 2024		Fianna Fáil	International development and the diaspora
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill	9 April 2024	23 January 2025		Fine Gael	European Affairs	34th [19]
Seán Fleming	10 April 2024	23 January 2025		Fianna Fáil	International development and the diaspora
Name	Term of office		Party		Responsibilities	Government
Thomas Byrne	29 January 2025	Incumbent		Fianna Fáil	European Affairs	35th
Neale Richmond	29 January 2025	Incumbent		Fine Gael	International development and diaspora

References

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15. "Appointment of Ministers of State". Dáil Debates. 909 (3). 19 May 2016. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
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18. "Carroll MacNeill and O'Donnell promoted to junior ministers". RTÉ News . 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
19. "Appointment of Ministers and Ministers of State". Dáil Debates. 1052 (4). 16 April 2024. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.