Former top civil servant at the Department of Taoiseach<\/a>, Martin Fraser<\/a> is moving from his role as London ambassador to become ambassador to the United Nations (UN). It is part of a shake-up around the globe.<\/p>\n Joining Fraser on the move will be deputy secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs<\/a>, Sonja Hyland \u2013 who will take up the London role; Alison Milton who is to become ambassador to France while Jonathan Conlon moves from Ukraine to Poland.<\/p>\n There are also a large number of moves due in Asia and Africa.<\/p>\n Since 2018, the Department has added 25 new missions. Three new embassies have opened this year \u2013 with two more openings planned for 2026.<\/p>\n The increase in scope can be seen in departmental spending too.<\/p>\n Salary, wages and allowances for departmental staff stood at \u20ac143 million last year \u2013 up from \u20ac129 million in 2023.<\/p>\n The Government justifies this wider footprint by pointing out that this is a time of increased geopolitical strife and \u2013 as a small country \u2013 Ireland needs to maximise its influence and presence wherever it can.<\/p>\n It requires motivated individuals who are happy in many cases to move with their families to foreign postings. This might require shifting children out of their school and social circles for years at a time \u2013 with all the strain and stress that entails.<\/p>\n [\u00a0Martin Fraser to take up UN role in New York as part of ambassador reshuffleOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Of course there are plum appointments \u2013 locations that are desirable and attractive places to work \u2013 but more challenging ones too.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of hard yards \u2013 diplomacy is not something that comes magically from the stem of a wine glass,\u201d says Dan Mulhall, whose first diplomatic role abroad saw him move to New Delhi in 1980 at the age of 24.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I got the phone call that I was going to New Delhi, it was a complete shock for me. I was geared up for Paris or Geneva. It was quite a challenge to go there at that age,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n At that time, says Mulhall, many appointees were expected to follow their postings wherever they might be. The process of assigning roles has become more amenable to people\u2019s preferences over recent years \u2013 but you still \u201chave to be willing to take the rough with the smooth\u201d.<\/p>\n Mulhall, who also had stints in Brussels and Washington, says he found the work very rewarding \u2013 and that the embassy network makes life more comfortable than if one was travelling and working on their own. <\/p>\n Diplomacy is not something that comes magically from the stem of a wine glass<\/p>\n \u2014 \u00a0Dan Mulhall<\/p><\/blockquote>\n However, it does place a strain on families.<\/p>\n \u201cMy children went to seven or eight schools in my time. Their schooling was a bit choppy. They didn\u2019t care at all for moving and always complained when we did. It is not an easy street for families.\u201d<\/p>\n Mulhall also mentions the strain of being away from elderly relatives \u2013 his two parents died while he was stationed abroad.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, his former colleague Bobby McDonagh began around the same time in Ireland\u2019s diplomatic service. Before ultimately ending up as an ambassador in London and Rome, he was first sent to Luxembourg in 1979.<\/p>\n \u201cMy wife is a diplomat and we were the first couple to get married to each other after the (Civil Service) marriage ban was lifted,\u201d he says. \u201cOur first child was six weeks old when I received the posting to Luxembourg, so Mary took a career break \u2013 and that went on and on.\u201d<\/p>\n McDonagh talks about the isolation of working abroad in the late 70s and early 80s \u2013 and contrasts that to the more integrated existence of modern diplomacy. <\/p>\n![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/CCQFSADNKJNRFP2JXAH4TOGZEQ.JPG\")
Former ambassador Dan Mulhall says many appointees were expected to follow their postings wherever they might be.
\nPhotographer: Dara Mac D\u00f3naill <\/p>\n\n
![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SKLPYSQKK6XSSRJI7ELEVS7BEU.jpg\")
Former ambassador Bobby McDonagh meeting Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in 2009. Photograph: John Stillwell\/ WPA Pool\/ Getty Images <\/p>\n