Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 May 2026
227. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide a list of Irish embassies and consulate general offices worldwide that currently has a translator post filled within their offices, in tabular form. [38793/26]
View answerIreland has a global network of diplomatic missions that includes Embassies, Consulates and missions to multilateral organisations such as the European Union and the United Nations.
A wide range of skills are required to carry out functions in Ireland's diplomatic missions abroad and, to that end, the staffing profile of our missions include both posted staff and locally-hired staff.
The locally recruited staff across the mission network play an invaluable role in supporting the delivery of the Department's goals and objectives, and work principally on issues such as consular and visa services, administration responsibilities, supporting trade, cultural and public diplomacy targets and events, and working on Ireland's development assistance programme.
We do not have dedicated translator positions in our diplomatic missions. Rather, where fluency in a particular language or languages is necessary for any particular role, this is taken into account in the recruitment and appointment process. In all of our diplomatic missions, we therefore have the language skills required to support fully the representation of our interests.
