Skip to main content
Menu
Search

Please be advised that this page has moved and this content is no longer being updated. Up-to-date information is now available at ireland.ie.

Our Commitment to Equality and Diversity

The Department of Foreign Affairs is committed to fostering a culture of respect and equality to the benefit of our staff, the Department itself, and those we serve at home and abroad.

L to R: Ambassador to Poland, Gerard Keown, Rosaleen McDonagh, Senator Lynn Ruane, Secretary General Niall Burgess, Owen Feeney, Pablo Rojas Coppari and Caoimhe Ní Chonchúir at the inaugural Equality and Diversity workshop held in the Ballroom of Iveagh House, April 2017.

L to R: Ambassador to Poland, Gerard Keown, Rosaleen McDonagh, Senator Lynn Ruane, Secretary General Niall Burgess, Owen Feeney, Pablo Rojas Coppari and Caoimhe Ní Chonchúir at the inaugural Equality and Diversity workshop held in the Ballroom of Iveagh House, April 2017. © DFAT

Our Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 commits us to further embed a culture of dignity and respect in the workplace, emphasising Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI). The Department's Human Resources Strategy 2019-2022 has a focus on GEDI, underscoring our commitment to making the Department of Foreign Affairs an employer of choice and an attractive place to work and all the different elements this encompasses.  Embedding principles of respect and inclusion also applies to how we deliver services to members of the public, and our Customer Service Charter makes a firm commitment to treat everyone fairly and impartially.

With the ultimate goal of delivering better services for government and citizens, the Department launched a new GEDI Action Plan in July 2022, focused on a set of ambitious targets.  By 2025 we will:

  • Reduce the Gender Pay Gap to below 10%
  • Have a fully gender-balanced Management Board
  • At least 45% women serving as Heads of Mission
  • Carry out accessibility audits for all DFA HQ buildings
  • All staff will have completed diversity and inclusion training

At the heart of the Department's work on Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) is a commitment to openness and dialogue. In this regard, the Management Board Sub-Committee on GEDI and in particular the work of its constituent volunteer-led Staff Working Groups plays a key role. 

Print page