The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mr Walsh, has been awarded the Grand Cross for Agricultural Merit by King Juan Carlos of Spain.
Spain is the second EU country to have honoured Mr Walsh in recent months. Last July, he was awarded the Légion d'Honneur by the French government.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony in the Spanish embassy, Ailesbury Road, last night, Mr Walsh said he was deeply honoured by the distinction bestowed on him by King Juan Carlos.
He was conscious the award was a rare one and it was a measure of the high level of co-operation over the years between Spain and Ireland in the EU's Council of Ministers on agriculture in both countries. "I value greatly the level of co-operation and friendship which I have had with my Spanish counterparts and, in particular, with the present Spanish Minister, Miguel Arias Canete," he said.