Members of the Audit Committee: Expressions of interest

• Candidate information - please read carefully.
• The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is an equal opportunities employer.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified individuals to serve on the Department’s Audit Committee.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade focuses on serving the Irish public, both at home and abroad. We provide a range of services to Irish citizens and work hard to ensure the promotion and protection of Ireland’s interests in the world, contributing to international priorities such as peace, security and the eradication of poverty and hunger.

The mission of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is to serve Ireland, promote our values and interests abroad, and to provide the Government with the capabilities and influence to ensure that Ireland derives the maximum benefit from all areas of its external engagement. We do this under the political direction of our Ministers, through our staff at home and through our Embassy network abroad.

The role of the Audit Committee

The Audit Committee of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the Department) is formally appointed by, and advises, the Secretary General of the Department, who is the Accounting Officer for Votes 27 (International Cooperation) and 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade). As appropriate, it will advise the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs, and the Minister of State for Overseas Development and the Diaspora.

The Audit Committee is part of the Departments’ governance and assurance framework. Its function is to provide advice and an independent appraisal of the evaluation and audit arrangements, with a view to strengthening governance, risk management and internal controls, as well as helping to enhance the effective operation of the Evaluation and Audit Unit within the Department. The Audit Committee is responsible to the Secretary General for its performance.

The role and responsibilities of the Audit Committee are set out in its Charter. The Audit Committee has an advisory role with no executive functions, responsibilities or powers and has no role in approving evaluation and audit reports. Members of the Committee are appointed to ensure that they collectively possess sufficient knowledge relevant to the Committee.

The Audit Committee publishes an annual report on its work.

Day-to-day work of the Department

The Department consists of divisions and units at headquarters and over 100 diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad, as well as the British Irish Inter-Governmental Secretariat in Belfast and the North-South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat in Armagh.

The Department’s headquarters provides policy support to the Government, key public services and assists the work of the embassy network. Our embassies are uniquely placed to perform an important range of activities from representational duties to promotional work to providing crucial services to Irish people abroad.

Management structures

Under the political direction of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department is managed by the Secretary General, supported by two Deputy Secretaries General and a Management Board. Missions abroad report to lead divisions or units based on priorities and geographical responsibilities.

The day-to-day work of the Department is carried out by almost 3,300 employees working in HQ and Missions abroad, including over 850 locally recruited staff. Further information about the Department and its structures.

Where we are

The Department has its headquarters in Iveagh House, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin. Development Cooperation and Africa Division is based in Limerick and Dublin, while some offices of the Department are based in other locations in central Dublin. Our Passport Offices are located in Dublin, Balbriggan and Cork.

(i) Essential skills and experience

Expressions of interest in serving as a member of the Audit Committee are being sought from persons with an appreciation of the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and relevant experience to effectively discharge the role of an Audit Committee member.

At this time, we are seeking expressions of interest from persons with qualifications, skills and experience in one or more of the below:

• Financial management/ Public Financial Management and internal financial control systems
• Internal audit
• Governance, risk management
• ICT / cyber-security
• Legal, especially in areas relevant to the Irish civil and public service
• International relations (including Trade policy)
• Development cooperation
• Evaluation of policy, strategy, and programmes in the public sector, including official development assistance programmes.

(ii) Desirable requirements

It is desirable that individuals have experience of one or more of the following:

• Senior management of a large public, private or not for profit sector organisation
• Non-executive (board or committee) experience in a public, private or not for profit organisation (including International organisations).

(iii) Personal qualities

Candidates should have:

• High levels of integrity, ethical standards and professionalism
• Excellent communications skills (oral and listening)
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Sound judgement
• The ability and willingness to challenge and probe
• The capacity to engage at meetings, and with other Audit Committee members, effectively and efficiently
• The time and personal commitment to perform effectively.

The appointment to the Committee will be for an initial period of three years, which may be extended for a further three years.

The Committee meets at least five times per year and meetings are held during working hours. Meetings are currently held in person in Iveagh House, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin. Meetings usually last a maximum of four hours. Members may occasionally be invited to attend additional meetings or events.

Remuneration for the role is €2,000 per annum. Fees paid to Committee members are non-pensionable and chargeable to taxation under “Schedule E” and subject to deductions (i.e. PAYE, PRSI and USC as appropriate) at source under the PAYE system. Note remuneration does not apply to serving public servants. Reimbursement for travelling expenses incurred in the performance of Committee duties will be provided in accordance with the Civil and Public Service travel and subsistence rates and regulations.

If you are interested in this position, please submit a short cover letter (max 400 words), including brief CV (max 800 words), demonstrating how you meet the requirements of this position to acsecretary@dfa.ie. Please confirm that you do not have any conflicts of interest or legal impediment that would be likely to interfere with your ability to play a full part of the Committee. Please also confirm that you can make yourself available to attend meetings and carry out the duties of a member of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Audit Committee.

It is strongly recommended that you do not change your email address or mobile phone number in the course of consideration of expressions of interest, as any correspondence will be through the email address/mobile phone number originally supplied by you.

The closing date and time for receipt of expressions of interest is 12 noon on 10 February 2026.

An Assessment Panel (the “Panel”) will be convened by the Department to consider and assess the expressions of interest received on or before the closing time and date.

The Panel will:

• Review and discuss the expressions of interest received against the identified requirements for the role
• Assess potential appointees further, once they meet the specified appointment criteria, by undertaking any or all of the following steps:
  • Consideration of the written applications; and/or
  • Meeting/conference call; and/or
  • Carry out any other selection method deemed appropriate.
• Recommend the strongest candidate(s), based on the criteria and assessment process, to the Secretary General for approval.

The successful candidate(s) will be notified in writing and contacted by the Audit Committee Secretariat to arrange induction.

As it is expected that a number of vacancies will arise over the coming period, at the end of the selection process it is proposed to create a panel of successful candidates, which will be used to fill vacancies arising on the Committee over the lifetime of the panel. This panel may remain in place for a period of two years.

Information provided on applications submitted to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be processed in line with our data privacy notice.