Tag Archives: Foreign Affairs

Clare holiday makers and those planning any trip abroad, have been advised to apply for a passport well in advance of travel. Minister for Employment and Small Business Pat Breen said, “I have had numerous calls to my constituency office in Ennis from people who are waiting weeks for a new passport, with many fearing they will not have their passport returned in time to travel. My advice therefore is to apply for your passport as early as possible.” “However, if you are travelling for business, even personal business, and require a passport within 15 to 20 days it is advisable to avail of the Passport Appointments Service rather than the Passport Express System,” he said. There has been an unprecedented number of applications for Irish passports since the vote on Brexit. According to figures revealed by the Department of Foreign Affairs there has been a 72% increase in applications from Northern Ireland and a 70% increase from Great Britain …

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, chaired by Clare TD Pat Breen, is to hear from Tanáiste Eamon Gilmore on this Wednesday. The meeting will consider the outcomes from Monday’s session of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Luxembourg, where the Tánaiste discussed the on-going crisis in Iraq with his counterparts. Deputy Breen said, “The deteriorating security situation in Iraq has been the source of grave concern to Committee members, particularly in view of the appalling levels of indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians. We note the Tánaiste’s call at the meeting for the Iraqi Government to take a non-sectarian, inclusive approach to curb any opportunities for extremism to thrive. The Committee will have an opportunity to consider the alarming situation with the Tánaiste in detail at tomorrow’s meeting, and the approach that European Foreign Ministers are proposing to take to stem the crisis.” Mr Breen will also meet with the new Iraqi Ambassador to Ireland, Faik Nerweyi, at which …