THE GOVERNMENT HAS announced eleven nominations to become ambassadors for Ireland.

The ambassadorial nominees will be formally appointed once the State they have been assigned to agrees to the appointment.

The nominees are:

• Kenneth Thompson, the current ambassador to India, has been nominated to be ambassador to Turkey. He will also serve as ambassador to Azerbaijan, Iran and Pakistan. The current ambassador to Turkey is retiring.
• Feilim McLaughlin is nominated to be ambassador to India, as well as Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. McLaughlin currently works in the Development Cooperation section of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
• Angela O’Farrell, who is  currently deputy director of the Trade and Promotion division of the Department of Foreign Affairs is to be ambassador to Norway to replace the current ambassador who is retiring.
• Alison Kelly, the deputy political director to the Department of Foreign Affairs has been nominated to be ambassador to the Czech Republic and the Ukraine.
• James Carroll, the current Irish representative to the Palestinian Authority, has been nominated to be ambassador to Sweden.
• Former ambassador to Israel Michael Forbes will be ambassador to the OECD and ambassador and permanent delegate to UNESCO, both of which are based in Paris.
• Éamonn MacAodha has been nominated to be ambassador to Belgium. Mac Aodha is currently chief executive of the Human Rights Commission.
• Noel White has been nominated to be ambassador to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Papau New Guinea.
• Oliver Grogan, the current ambassador to Iran, will be ambassador to Romania and also Moldova.
• Dympna Hayes has been nominated to be the Irish representative to the Palestinian Authority.
• Brian McElduff has been nominated to be ambassador to Slovakia. McElduff is currently the chargé at the Czech Republic embassy.

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