A chairde/Dear friends,
Welcome to the Embassy’s website, which I hope you will find offers an interesting insight into our work and updates that may be useful for you.
I am honoured to join my colleagues in London and take up my appointment as Ambassador of Ireland to the United Kingdom, our near neighbour and close friend.
I arrive at a time of great interest and possibility in British-Irish relations, an area in which I have worked for nearly 20 years, including as Secretary General to the Government and Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach. I have been involved in the Northern Ireland Peace Process since 2004, and had the pleasure to play a role in both the State Visit of the Queen to Ireland and the return State Visit of the President to Britain; two transformative moments in a deeply important relationship.
The many and vital connections between Ireland and Britain give us much to celebrate and build on. I am also keenly aware of the present challenges that we face, including in the context of the UK’s decision to leave the EU, the impact of this for Ireland and the Irish community in Britain, and the continuing need to nurture Northern Ireland’s hard won peace.
These are challenges that require us to draw on the understanding, cooperation and effective partnership that we have built together over many decades. With my team at the Embassy, I will work to ensure the very best outcome for that partnership, for Ireland and the Irish in Britain.
The diversity of the connections between Ireland and Britain is represented in the strength of our economic, cultural, and sporting links, and perhaps most importantly, through the lives of the many Irish citizens and descendants of Ireland for whom Britain is home.
I look forward to celebrating the achievements of Britain’s wonderful and multi-faceted Irish community, and to meeting many of you in the course of my duties as your Ambassador. Your contributions, and those of generations of Irish people, have made such a positive difference to British and Irish life, and I know they will continue to do so.
It is a great privilege to serve in this role, and I would like to thank my predecessor for his deeply valued and dedicated contribution to the British-Irish relationship and the Irish community over the past five years. The Embassy, the Passport & Visa Office, and Ireland’s Consulates General in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Manchester are all resources for you. I warmly encourage you to reach out and get in touch with us.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Le gach dea-ghuí,
Martin Fraser
Ambassador
Curriculum Vitae
2022- Present : Ambassador of Ireland to the UK
1999 – 2022 :Present: Department of the Taoiseach:
2011 – 2022:
Secretary General to the Government (Cabinet Secretary) and Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach
Chair of the Civil Service Management Board
Chair of the National Economic & Social Council
Chair of Senior Officials Groups on Brexit, Covid-19, Ukraine, Housing, Climate Action & Commemorations
2007-2011:
Assistant Secretary General with responsibility for Northern Ireland, British-Irish and US-Irish relations, Economic Policy, Social Policy & Corporate Affairs
1999-2004:
Corporate Affairs (HR, Finance, IT and General Administration)
1997-1999:
Department of Agriculture and Food
1996-1997:
Department of Foreign Affairs
1986 – 1996:
Department of Social Welfare
Education and Qualifications
MSc(Econ) in Policy Studies, University of Dublin (Trinity College) & the Institute of Public Administration
Bachelor of Commerce, University College Dublin
Certificate in European Law, Dublin Institute of Technology
Personal
Married to Deirdre Fraser, with two adult children