Introduction by Secretary General Niall Burgess

My name is Niall Burgess and I am the Secretary General at Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Our work is broad and varied but our primary role is to support Government in meeting the needs of Irish citizens, at home and abroad.

We provide consular, passport and emigrant support services to Irish citizens travelling or living overseas.

We advance our economic interests and promote our values internationally. For example, we are working with a range of international partners to end poverty and hunger at global level.

And we’re working with the United Nations and others to address humanitarian crises and lay the foundations for peace and security in some of the worlds most troubled places.

At home we contribute to the ongoing work of deepening reconciliation here on the island of Ireland.

I am proud of the women and men at all levels in the Irish Foreign Service - including the local staff in our network of missions abroad - who work hard in pursuit of these objectives.

In this review of our activities for 2015, we aim to present our work in as clear and accessible a way as possible.

So please take this opportunity to find out more about what we do on your behalf. We also want to hear your views on how we might improve on the public services that we offer.

We are honoured to represent Ireland's citizens and support our country abroad. On behalf of all my colleagues, we thank you for your trust and your support.