Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 November 2020
193. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide a full report on the activities of the Irish consulate in Edinburgh including staffing numbers; if there is capacity to grow the consulate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37686/20]
View answerThe Consulate General of Ireland in Edinburgh (CG Edinburgh) is one of two Consulates General of Ireland in Great Britain that complement the work of the Embassy of Ireland in London. CG Edinburgh is staffed by a Consul General, a Vice Consul General, and an additional supporting official from the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Consulate also employs one local staff member to assist with the wide-ranging work of the Mission.
This Consulate has a substantial remit, including political engagement with Scotland; facilitating local trade and investment with Ireland; cultural promotion and representation; and community engagement with the diaspora. The Consulate works closely with other members of Team Ireland in Scotland, including Enterprise Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Culture Ireland, and other State Agencies. Given the number of Irish citizens and the size of the Irish community living, working, and studying in Scotland, the mission also handles considerable consular demands.
Since the joint bilateral review of Ireland-Scotland relations commenced in late 2019, CG Edinburgh has also devoted significant efforts to progressing this initiative in collaboration with Scottish counterparts. The review, which will be published soon, has mapped the connections between Ireland and Scotland and aims to develop a focused plan of action for further collaboration over the next five years.
The busy workload of this CG Edinburgh, furthering Ireland's interests throughout Scotland, contributes to realising Ireland's broader strategic objectives with regard to the UK.
Reflecting the establishment of the British-Irish Council, an institution of the Good Friday Agreement, and the role that devolution has played in the UK since 1998, the Department has increased commensurately its support for the Consulate General in Edinburgh. Additional resources have also been committed to the Embassy in London. The reopening of Ireland's Consulate General in Cardiff last year further reflects a commitment to engage in all regions of the UK, as does the announcement on 16 November that planning for a new Consulate for the North of England, to be situated in Manchester, will now proceed.
The Programme for Government outlines the Government's ambitions for British-Irish relations in the coming years, and includes a specific commitment to deepen and intensify links with the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland, as part of a broader strategy of renewed east-west engagement. The Department will ensure that the resourcing of the Embassy and Consulates in Great Britain remains under review in this context, and is at the level required to promote and protect our interests, and Irish citizens, as the vital Ireland-UK bilateral relationship enters a new post-Brexit phase.
