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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 May 1986

Vol. 366 No. 8

Written Answers. - Diplomatic Functions.

34.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the function of Irish Consuls, Honorary Consuls and Consuls General; and if such Consuls are regularly briefed on Irish affairs.

Consul General, Consul, Vice-Consul — Certain career civil servants of my Department who staff Consulates General or other offices abroad may carry the titles Consul General, Consul or Vice-Consul. These officers, and the offices in which they work, have a wide range of consular, informational, and indeed diplomatic functions. As career diplomats these officers remain in close contact with the Department and with Ireland both on matters relating to their own specific assignments and on Irish affairs in general.

Honorary Consuls, Honorary Consuls General — In addition to offices headed by and staffed by career officers Ireland has 41 offices headed by Honorary Consuls or Honorary Consuls General. The function of such offices is to provide basic consular services in return for a nominal honorarium and a proportion of any consular fees they may collect. They are themselves expected to bear the costs of providing staff time and premises. The officers in question are not career civil servants and they have no diplomatic role. The consular functions of such offices relate mainly to providing consular documents or certificates, accepting applications for Irish visas, helping or advising Irish citizens in emergencies, providing certain passport services, and similar matters.

Such offices can also provide routine information material on Irish tourism, culture or the economy. It is not however their function to become involved in giving information on Irish political or diplomatic matters, and in fact they are precluded from doing so.

Honorary Consuls or Honorary Consuls General in some areas can provide useful contact points for those interested in business dealings with Ireland, and some have proved very helpful to Irish businessmen.

Some honorary consuls are Irish citizens; others who are not may have business or other contacts with Ireland. Others may have few connections with Ireland, but be well established people in the area of the Consulate, whose local knowledge and connections can prove useful.

Although not career officials Honorary Consuls and Honorary Consuls General are guided in the performance of their consular duties by the Department and by Irish embassies responsible for their area.

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