Patrick McCartan
Ceist:37 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way in which Honorary Consuls are appointed; the vetting procedures which are used prior to their appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Honorary Consuls.
Honorary Consuls are appointed essentially to respond to a need for the provision of consular services for a significant body of Irish citizens in a particular country or region and to promote Irish economic interests in the area. Ideally, the person appointed should be well established and be of good repute in the area in question. He or she should be known to the Irish community and the local administration and should have business connections which would be beneficial to Irish economic interests. The successful candidate would normally be the one, among those interested in the position, who is considered to come closest to this ideal. Not all of our Honorary Consuls are Irish but, other things being equal, preference would normally be given to a suitably qualified candidate of Irish nationality or background.
Candidates are invited to complete a standard application form. Their background is then verified and they are interviewed by the Department or by an appropriate Irish Embassy. Following on this, a recommendation is made as to which of the applicants appears best suited for the position and the appointment is made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
I think I should add, since it may not be widely appreciated, that these are solely honorary appointments and that apart from a purely nominal stipend and a proportion of the consular fees, Honorary Consuls are in receipt of no remuneration from the State. Notwithstanding this, they provide a valuable service for our citizens overseas and in many cases take on onerous tasks on our behalf.