The Government has approved the appointment of a number of overseas Ambassadors.
Sonja Hyland, currently Irish Ambassador to Mexico, is being transferred to Addis Ababa to replace Aidan O’Hara as Ambassador to Ethiopia. She will also serve as Irish Ambassador to Djibouti and South Sudan, as well as Irish Representative to the African Union.
Ms Hyland will be replaced by Barbara Jones, who is currently consul general in New York. Ms Jones will also serve as Ambassador to Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela.
Finbar O’Brien has been appointed Ambassador to Uganda, and also to Rwanda, replacing Donal Croinin. He was previously principal development specialist at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin.
Nicholas Twist, Ambassador to Cyprus, is being replaced by Deirdre Ni Fhalluin, who moves from the British-Irish Council Secretariat in Edinburgh.
Orla O’Hanrahan, at present Ireland’s Ambassador to Sweden, will move to Athens to become Ambassador to Greece, and also to Albania and Serbia. She replaces Noel Kilkenny. Dympna Hayes, currently counsellor in the department’s development division, will be her replacement in Stockholm.
Myles Geiran is to move to be Ambassador to Slovenia, replacing Sean O’Regan. Mr Geiran will also serve as Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Mr O’Regan moves to Cairo, where he will be Ambassador to Egypt, replacing Damien Cole. Mr O’Regan will also serve as Ambassador to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
