Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 February 2014
43. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will confirm that the proposed Irish consulate in Austin, Texas, will follow the template of other embassies which house representatives of the Industrial Development Agency, Enterprise Ireland and so on and are successfully attracting foreign direct investment particularly from those with a connection to Ireland. [8106/14]
View answerOur diplomatic and consular missions abroad work closely with the state agencies in the promotion of inward investment, exports, and tourism and it has been policy for many years that, where feasible, missions and state agencies be brought together in a single location, designated as "Ireland Houses".
There are many variations to the model which reflect local conditions and other factors.
The arrangement is designed to increase the impact of Ireland's presence abroad, to improve coordination among all the parties involved, and to maximise cost-efficiencies.
The potential for expanding the network of Ireland Houses is kept under review, particularly when new missions or agencies are opening in, or moving to, new locations and a sharing arrangement is considered the optimal solution.
With regard to the proposed Consulate General in Austin, I can confirm that a co-location arrangement is under consideration by my Department.
