Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 January 2021
113. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to open a new Irish Consulate General Office in Dubrovnik, Croatia; if he is considering opening Irish Consulate General offices in other locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2130/21]
View answerIreland and Croatia enjoy very warm relations. There is a significant Croatian diaspora living in Ireland and many Irish people visit Croatia each year. In relation to our diplomatic presence in Croatia, there are no plans to open a Consulate General office in Dubrovnik. Our Embassy in Zagreb is well-equipped to deal with all consular issues affecting the Irish community likely to arise in Croatia. In addition, since 2017 we have had an Honorary Consul in Split given the extent of travel to the region from Irish citizens.
In June 2018, the Government launched the Global Ireland initiative, which aims to double the impact of Ireland’s global footprint by 2025. To date ten new Missions have opened. Plans are underway to open a further four Missions in 2021, including Embassies in Kyiv, Manila, Rabat and a Consulate in Manchester. In considering any further expansion of the Diplomatic network a range of factors will be taken into account including our national, political, economic and trade priorities, as well as the availability of resources. The Government is conscious of the factors that might warrant the opening of new Missions in a number of countries and will keep the matter under active review.
