Welcome Message
A cháirde, céad mile fáilte,
Welcome to the website of the Embassy of Ireland to Brazil, where you can find information on Ireland’s activities in Brazil and services for Irish citizens.
I am very proud to serve as the Ambassador of Ireland to Brazil, and to be the first woman Ambassador in this role. I am delighted to contribute to the strong and growing relationship between Ireland and Brazil, and to continue our mission of deepening the links already established through people to people connections, educational opportunities, trade and tourism.
Brazil is home to a small but growing number of Irish citizens and I look forward to meeting the Irish community during my time in Brazil. I am also looking forward to engaging with the significant affinity diaspora in Brazil, those Brazilians who have a strong affinity with Irish culture and traditions. I am delighted as well to see that over 70,000 Brazilians are now studying and working in Ireland, and have found another home in Ireland.
In 2022, Ireland launched our first whole of government Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean that brings together in one document, our commitment to engage in a more coherent and joined up way across this vast region.
The Embassy of Ireland, together with our Consulate General in São Paulo, are working across all of the priorities in the Latin American and Caribbean Strategy. We see Brazil as a key partner in the implementation of this strategy and within Brazil, we have committed to deepening relations across a range of areas, including science and technology, education, trade, and on the environment. Our Team Ireland presence in Brazil includes our state agencies, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, and we stand ready to support Irish business to expand and facilitate Brazilian investment into Ireland
As we approach half a century of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Brazil, I hope that as Ambassador I can contribute to this next chapter of our relationship, to grow the friendships and bonds that bring us together, and to meet many of you. I encourage you to reach out to our teams in Brasília and São Paulo, and to follow us on social media to keep up with or latest activities.
Le gach dea-ghuí,
With best wishes,
Fiona Flood
Ambassador
Biography
2023: Ambassador of Ireland to Brazil, and Ambassador Designate to Guyana, Suriname and CARICOM.
2020-2023: As Deputy Head of Mission, Director of Brexit and EU Affairs, Embassy of Ireland, London, responsible for monitoring and analysis of UK Government’s strategic direction post-Brexit and its impact on Ireland.
2016-2020: Director of Security and Corporate Compliance, Department of Foreign Affairs, HQ, Dublin, led and coordinated the Department’s crisis response to Covid19 and its compliance with a range of statutory obligations (data protection, FOI, etc).
2011-2016: Director of Economic Migration Policy and EU Employment Policy, Department of Enterprise, Dublin. Helped to revamp Ireland’s economic migration policy and employment permits system, coordinated cross-government Irish inputs to the EU Employment and Social Affairs Council (EPSCO) and chaired negotiations in the Working Party on Social Questions during Ireland’s Presidency of the EU in 2013
2007-2011, Dublin: Helped to establish the National Employment Rights Authority of Ireland, whose mission was to protect and promote employment rights. As Deputy Director, responsible enforcement and prosecution teams, including 140 labour inspectors who enforced Irish employment law (ensuring workers got their paid leave entitlement, minimum wage enforcement, etc).
2005-2007: Human Rights Policy Officer and representative to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) at the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the United Nations, Geneva (2005-2007)
2004-2005: First Secretary, British-Irish Secretariat, Belfast, Northern Ireland
2000-2004: First Secretary, Justice and Security Unit, Department of Foreign Affairs HQ, Dublin, working of ex-prisoner and victims issues
1997-2000: Vice Consul of Ireland, Consulate of Ireland, Chicago
Ambassador Flood was born in Kells, Co. Meath. She has a degree in Languages and International Marketing from Dublin City University and a MSc in Public Sector Innovation from the University of Ulster. She speaks Irish, French, German, Dutch, and is currently learning Portuguese. Ambassador Flood has three daughters, and is accompanied in Brazil by her dogs Lucky and Buddy.