Ireland accepted the appointment of a full Palestinian ambassador for the first time, after Dublin formally recognised a Palestinian state earlier this year, reports. Senior ministers confirmed that Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid would step up from her current position as Palestinian Head of Mission to Ireland. In May Dublin said it was recognising Palestine as “a sovereign and independent state” comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and agreed to establish full diplomatic relations. Last month, the Palestinian Authority formally notified Dublin of its intention to upgrade its representation in Ireland from a diplomatic mission to a resident embassy under the 1961 Vienna Convention which guarantees protection for diplomatic staff. The upgrade means that the diplomatic mission will now have the full range of privileges and immunities applicable under the Vienna Convention.