Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 January 2022
84. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the increase in ambassadorial and consular appointments over the past three years in keeping with the goal to double Ireland’s global impact by 2025. [3689/22]
View answer'Global Ireland 2025' provides a cross-departmental roadmap to develop a broader and deeper platform to leverage Ireland's engagement globally. This initiative will continue to support efforts to grow and diversify export markets, inward investment and tourism and underpin economic recovery, in close coordination with the relevant State Agencies. In addition, the strategy will ensure that Ireland is better positioned to build the alliances necessary to advance its interests and defend national positions in the post-Brexit EU, while also helping to secure our deep and positive relationship with the UK and its constituent parts into the future.
Ireland's network of diplomatic and consular missions worldwide is critical to the achievement of our foreign policy objectives, supporting our citizens internationally and providing a global economic platform for our businesses. The network also ensures efficient delivery of passport and consular services to our citizens, support to emigrant organisations and outreach to the diaspora and other networks of influence.
Since the launch of Global Ireland, 14 new missions have been opened. These are new Embassies in Wellington, Bogotá, Amman, Monrovia, Santiago de Chile, Kyiv, Rabat and Manila with new Consulates General in Cardiff, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Manchester, Mumbai and Vancouver. Plans are underway to open an Embassy in Dakar and Consulates General in Lyon, Miami and Toronto before the end of 2022. Further expansion of the overseas Mission network remains under review as part of the Global Ireland initiative.
Please see below in tabular form the new missions opened in 2018, 2019 and 2021, and the diplomatic staffing complement attached to each one:
|
Year |
Mission |
Staff |
|
2018 |
Embassy Monrovia |
Counsellor x 1 Development Specialist x 1 Third Secretary x 1 |
|
2018 |
Consulate Vancouver |
First Secretary x 1 Third Secretary x 1 |
|
2018 |
Embassy Wellington |
First Secretary x 1 Third Secretary x 1 |
|
2019 |
Embassy Amman |
Principal Development Specialist x 1Third Secretary x 1 |
|
2019 |
Embassy Bogota |
Counsellor x 1First Secretary x 1Third Secretary x |
|
2019 |
Embassy Santiago |
Counsellor x 1Third Secretary x 1 |
|
2019 |
Consulate Cardiff |
First Secretary x 1Executive Officer x 1 |
|
2019 |
Consulate Frankfurt |
First Secretary x 1Third Secretary x 1 |
|
2019 |
Consulate Los Angeles |
First Secretary x 1Third Secretary x 1 |
|
2019 |
Consulate Mumbai |
First Secretary x 1Third Secretary x 1 |
|
2020 |
Not applicable |
|
|
2021 |
Embassy Kyiv |
Counsellor x 1Third Secretary x 1 |
|
2021 |
Embassy Manila |
Counsellor x 1Third Secretary x 1 |
|
2021 |
Embassy Rabat |
Counsellor x 1Third Secretary x 1 |
|
2021 |
Consulate Manchester |
First Secretary x 1Third Secretary x 1 |
