Irish Ambassador to Great Britain

A chairde, dear friends,

I am delighted that we have the opportunity here on Ireland.ie to offer you a platform to explore the many ways in which Ireland and Great Britain are working together, and the role of our Embassy here in offering services and support.

As Ambassador of Ireland here in London, it has been an honour to work with colleagues over the past two years to develop the vital relationship between our nations, to build on shared aspirations and create new opportunities, and to see the impact of the wide and diverse Irish community here in the UK.

I have worked in British-Irish relations for 20 years, including as Secretary General to the Government and Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach, and have been involved in the Northern Ireland Peace Process since 2004. The depth and breadth of the relationship between our islands is unique; it is one that requires our collective effort and commitment, and that offers exceptional potential for cooperation.

We warmly welcome the sense of renewed spirit of friendship between the United Kingdom and Ireland, and the ambitious path forward that has been set out for that cooperation on areas of shared values and shared interest – on security and justice, on climate and energy, on trade and investment and on those deep and important people-to-people connections that bind us. It is a positive and forward-looking agenda, and work is already underway.

We also share a crucial role as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement. It is incumbent upon us to do all that we can together to nurture the hard-won peace in Northern Ireland, and for greater opportunity, economic prosperity and reconciliation across our islands.

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 people and descendants of Ireland for whom Britain is home, the many British people who live in and frequently visit Ireland, and those whose ties to both countries – of place, of family, of friendship, embody the friendship between these islands.

I look forward to continuing the celebration of the achievements of Britain’s wonderful and multi-faceted Irish community, and to continuing to meet 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 we will always welcome the opportunity to engage with those who are contributing, in whatever way, to this unique and enduring connection. 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

1999 – 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 children (aged 20 and 22).