Call for nominations for 2022 Presidential Distinguished Service Award announced by Minister Brophy

The Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy, has announced the opening of the nominations process for the 2022 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad.

Minister Brophy said:

"I am delighted to announce the call for nominations for the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, which acknowledges the many ways members of our Diaspora contribute to Ireland, the Irish community abroad and Ireland’s reputation across the world.

"Over the last 10 years, 108 remarkable recipients have received the Award, across a range of categories, chosen from pools of high quality nominees. Among them are some well-known international names, including Jack Charlton, Liam Neeson, Chuck Feeney, Fionnuala Flanagan, Gabriel Byrne, Dermot O’Leary, Terry Wogan, Fiona Shaw, Thomas Keneally, Edna O’Brien, George Mitchell and Jim Stynes. The awards also allow us to celebrate the outstanding efforts made by recipients who may be less well-known, in order to rightly draw attention to their highly significant contributions to the societies in which they live. People such as emigrant right’s activist Sally Mulready, retired policeman and founder of the Project Children Charity Denis Mulcahy, human rights and charity activist Sally O’Neill Sanchez, astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell and biographer Ian Gibson to name but a few.

"As Minister of State for the Diaspora I am aware of the profound impact our global family has had around the world in so many countries and in a variety of fields, and I am proud that Ireland recognises all that our diaspora have done and continue to do. The Presidential Distinguished Service Award remains a very important opportunity to acknowledge in a formal way those who have made a sustained contribution to Ireland or Irish communities abroad.

"We want to ensure that the Award continues to attract outstanding nominees and I encourage everyone to consider nominating eligible candidates."

The Presidential Distinguished Service Award was established as a means to recognise the contribution of members of the Irish diaspora, and the first awards were made in 2012. Nominations are made by Irish communities abroad through Ireland’s network of Diplomatic Missions.

In order to be eligible for consideration, nominees must be habitually resident outside the island of Ireland and are required to satisfy one of the following additional requirements:

have rendered distinguished service to the nation and/or its reputation abroad
have actively and demonstrably contributed to Ireland and/or its international reputation and/or Irish communities abroad in at least one of the listed categories
have a track record of sustained support and engagement with Ireland and/or its international reputation and/or Irish communities abroad over a period of not less than 5 years; or
have made a sustained and distinguished service to Ireland on a global or international issue of importance

Nominations should be submitted through the Embassy of Ireland in the country of residence of the nominee before Wednesday, 11 May 2022.

Notes

The Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad is neither an honours system nor does it confer any legal entitlements upon the recipients.

The scheme is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, and a High Level Panel is established to make recommendations to Government. This Panel includes: Mr Joe Hackett, Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs (Chair), Mr Martin Fraser, Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach; Ms Orla O’Hanrahan, Secretary General to the President; and four representatives from the non-government sector.

Nominations are made by Irish communities abroad through Ireland’s network of Diplomatic Missions.