John Connolly
Question:54. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland is advancing proposals for the reform of United Nations structures. [68948/26]
View answerUnited Nations
Questions (54)
Written answers
Ireland supports the ongoing UN80 reform initiative launched by UN Secretary-General Guterres in 2025. The initiative aims to strengthen the effectiveness, accountability and representativeness of the UN system amid shrinking resources and rising needs.
Ireland believes that any reforms must serve to strengthen and protect the United Nations' capacity to deliver across the three pillars of Peace and Security, Sustainable Development, and Human Rights, while remaining firmly grounded in the principles of the UN Charter.
Together with our EU partners, Ireland continues to engage actively across all three work-streams of UN80. This includes initiatives to strengthen coordination, coherence and delivery across the UN, via reforms of programmes and structures.
Ireland also continues to advocate for institutional reforms, including reform of the UN Security Council. Ireland has consistently called for the veto power held by the Permanent Five members of the Security Council to be abolished. Ireland has also been clear that Council reform must address the unjust under-representation of Africa and other under-represented regions on the Council and safeguard the right of small states, including Small Island Developing States, to serve on the Council.
My Department will continue to engage on the UN80 process to ensure that Ireland's values and interests are protected and advanced.
Foreign Conflicts
Questions (55)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:55. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether she is aware that organisers of the latest Freedom Flotilla to Gaza have been imprisoned in Tunisia (details supplied); and whether she will make representations to the ambassador and government of Tunisia calling for their release. [69350/26]
View answerWritten answers
I am aware of reports that four organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla were arrested in Tunis on 6 March 2026.
My Department, through our officials in headquarters and in our Embassy in Rabat, which is accredited concurrently to Tunisia, will continue to monitor this situation.
Foreign Policy
Questions (56, 60)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:56. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her views on the current situation in Cuba and the Government's position regarding same. [69245/26]
View answer
Conor D. McGuinness
Question:60. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on the Government’s position on the United States's embargo against Cuba; the representations made by Ireland through the European Union, the United Nations and in the most recent bilateral engagements with US officials in the past two months. [69237/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 60 together.
Ireland’s position on the embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba is long-standing and clear. Restricting the flow of basic goods, and particularly fuel, to Cuba heightens the suffering of ordinary Cubans. It is Ireland’s position that the US economic embargo serves no constructive purpose, and has impacted negatively on the people of Cuba.
Ireland has consistently voted for UN resolutions calling for the ending of the embargo at the UN General Assembly. Along with the majority of EU Member States, we most recently voted in favour of this annual UN Resolution when it was debated in October 2025.
Additionally, in July this year, Ireland voted in favour of holding a debate requested by Cuba for the UN General Assembly to hold a new debate on the Cuban embargo.
Ireland has also opposed the inclusion of Cuba on the United States’ list of State Sponsors of Terrorism and the associated measures.
At EU level, in April 2026, the European Commission released an additional €2 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Cuba. This follows €4 million in EU funding approved as a regional allocation for the Caribbean, which was primarily allocated to the response in Cuba. In 2025, almost €6 million was provided for disaster preparedness and emergency response in Cuba.
My Department maintains ongoing dialogue with US contacts on a range of international issues, including Cuba. We communicate Ireland’s positions on the US embargo, the impact of the embargo and the international response on humanitarian crisis and the importance of maintaining diplomatic engagement.
Ireland reiterates these views in bilateral and multilateral fora, including the European Union and the United Nations, when discussing the issues relating to Cuba.
Visa Applications
Questions (57)
Seán Kyne
Question:57. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she accepts the important role that embassies abroad play for Irish citizens in visa application processes and what measures are being taken by her Department to improve response times and customer service standards across the diplomatic and visa systems. [69103/26]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for matters related to immigration to the State, including visa policy, lies with the Minster for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
However, my Department does provide a visa service through its Embassy and broader diplomatic network in a number of countries, under the guidance of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, where that department does not have a dedicated visa office.
My Department has a limited decision-making role, and can decide on and issue certain categories of visa. These are primarily short stay visa applications and, in some cases, long stay study visas. The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration decides on visa applications outside these categories, and on visa appeals.
I can assure the Deputy that I recognise the importance of this role, including in promoting Ireland as a place to invest, work, study and visit, and in the implementation of a strategic migration approach, in line with the Programme for Government.
In 2025, Irish Embassies received approximately 66,000 visa applications. In general and across most visa categories, visa processing takes between eight and 12 weeks. However, timelines can vary by location.
I would please refer the Deputy to the relevant Irish Embassy or Consulate webpages for information on average processing times for a specific country.
I can assure the Deputy that Embassy resourcing is under regular review to ensure Embassy teams can support visa application volumes. Indeed, this year, several of our Embassies received additional resources to meet visa service demands.
My Department will continue to work closely with the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration on ways to enhance our visa service.
Question No. 58 answered with Question No. 34.
Question No. 59 answered with Question No. 53.
Question No. 60 answered with Question No. 56.
Question No. 61 answered with Question No. 43.
Trade Agreements
Questions (62, 71, 91)
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Question:62. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the key messages she is advancing during her engagements in New York regarding the importance of maintaining stable transatlantic trade relationships and diversifying Ireland's export markets in the context of ongoing uncertainty in the global trading environment. [69101/26]
View answer
Naoise Ó Muirí
Question:71. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will outline efforts to advance Ireland’s trade priorities during engagements in New York. [68433/26]
View answerNaoise Ó Cearúil
Question:91. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the trade priorities she will seek to advance during her meetings with international partners in New York and in advance of hosting EU Trade Ministers in Dublin next month. [69102/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 62, 71 and 91 together.
Last week, I travelled to New York to attend the UN General Assembly High Level Week. While there, I also undertook a programme of trade and economic engagements.
These engagements were an opportunity to focus on Ireland’s trade and investment relationship with the United States at a time of significant change and uncertainty in the international trading environment. Maintaining strong, stable and predictable economic relationships matters enormously for an open economy like ours.
One of the key messages that I delivered during my visit was that Ireland and the United States have a significant and mutually beneficial economic relationship, which creates prosperity, jobs and opportunity for large numbers of people on both sides of the Atlantic.
The theme of Artificial Intelligence featured prominently at this year’s UN High Level Week. Addressing the General Assembly, the UN Secretary-General called for guardrails that build trust and make AI safe, transparent and accountable, with human dignity at the centre. In my engagements, I highlighted the International AI Summit on 14 October, which will be a flagship event of Ireland’s EU Presidency, and will consolidate Europe’s position as a global leader in Applied AI and showcase Ireland as a tech hub.
While in New York, I met with Irish companies investing in the United States, and American companies investing in Ireland. American investment has played a hugely important role in Ireland’s economic development. The U.S. is Ireland’s largest trade and investment partner. More than 900 U.S. companies directly employ 245,000 people in Ireland. I had good discussions with ServiceNow, the enterprise AI platform company, and BNY, the financial services platform company, both of which have made significant investments in Ireland in recent years, creating quality jobs and opportunity. Ireland continues to be a highly competitive location for leading U.S. and international companies.
At the same time, almost 800 Irish companies directly employ more than 200,000 people across the 50 U.S. states. Ireland is the sixth largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States, with a total value of $391 billion invested there. While in New York, I took the opportunity to meet with Granite, from West Cork, to celebrate their latest U.S. acquisition of brand and design agency Right Hat. Granite’s expansion in the United States is a strong example of the confidence, innovation and ambition we are seeing from Irish businesses. I hope to see more Irish companies growing internationally, investing in the United States and creating jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.
Ireland has always been of the view that cooperation, engagement and dialogue is the best way forward to address the challenges facing both the EU and U.S. Throughout my programme of trade-focused meetings, I strongly made the case for continued transatlantic trade and investment and for removing, rather than creating, unnecessary barriers to doing business. During our EU Presidency, I will be prioritising maintaining and stabilising transatlantic cooperation. I have a strong focus on the competitiveness and simplification agendas – these are core to Europe’s long term economic strength and equally serve to support the transatlantic trading relationship. I strongly support the implementation of the EU-U.S Joint Statement by both sides and I am prioritising taking this forward during our Presidency.
My visit to New York came just one month before I host EU Trade Ministers in Dublin, as part of Ireland’s ongoing EU Presidency. That meeting comes at an important moment for European and global trade. The EU-U.S. trading relationship is the most valuable in the world, with €4.6 billion in goods and services traded each day. The EU and U.S. are each other’s largest trading partners in goods, representing almost 30% of total global trade in goods and services and 43% of global GDP. I want to see our economic partnership protected and enhanced. The Trade Ministers’ meeting will focus on the transatlantic trading relationship and the need to diversify our export markets.
It is just over one year since Government published the Action Plan on Market Diversification as part of a range of measures introduced by Government to strengthen Ireland’s economic resilience. The Action Plan sets out over 100 measures to support enterprise and market access; strengthen Ireland’s international economic diplomacy and trade promotion capacity; increase visibility for Irish businesses; and address some domestic barriers to diversification of markets. The first progress report on the Action Plan in March this year showed strong progress across the many actions, and I expect to see continued strong momentum in the second progress report, which will be published shortly. The Action Plan retains a sharp focus on established priority markets, including the U.S.
My Department is working to help strengthen and diversify Ireland’s trade and economic relationships throughout the United States, and across the globe. In support of these efforts, my Department received an additional funding allocation of €2.5 million in Budget 2026. This has allowed me to increase Ireland’s diplomatic footprint across the U.S. by 14% and I continue to strengthen Ireland’s presence in other key locations around the world.
International Sanctions
Questions (63)
Duncan Smith
Question:63. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she plans to revisit the advice of the Attorney General in regard to the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026, following the UK government's decision to sanction both goods and services. [69078/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Act came into effect on 15 September. The importation of goods originating in Israeli settlements into Ireland is now an offence under section 14 of the Customs Act 2015. The Act fulfils the commitment set out in the Programme for Government.
I welcome the recent announcement by the UK, France, Canada and others that they will act on the issue of Israeli settlements. The UK measures add to those already taken by Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands, with a growing number of states confirming their intention to introduce national measures, to support EU measures or to consider further work in this area.
Countries that have committed to take action in relation to trade with Israeli settlements are taking a variety of measures, taking account of their respective national legislative frameworks. It is important to note that some of the proposed measures are being taken by countries that are not members of the EU or of the Customs Union, and that other proposals are still in draft form.
In addition to the legislation we have enacted at the national level, the Government remains focused on progressing action at the EU level to prohibit all trade with Israeli settlements. Collective EU action will have greater impact than any measures adopted by an individual Member State and is the strongest and most effective route to ensure EU compliance with international law, as I have set out in detail on a number of previous occasions.
As the first EU country to announce measures prohibiting trade with Israeli settlements, Ireland is proud to have led the way on this issue. The growing number of countries committing to act in a similar way is important to preserve the viability of the two-State solution.
Question No. 64 answered with Question No. 34.
Food Security
Questions (65)
Pa Daly
Question:65. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the assessment that has been made of the impact of climate change on global food security; and the role Ireland is playing in international efforts to address this challenge. [69366/26]
View answerWritten answers
Climate change is a major driver of global food insecurity through its impact on agricultural production, livelihoods, and food prices. The current projections of a strong El Niño weather pattern in 2026 and 2027 have further intensified these pressures, increasing the risk of hunger and food shortages in vulnerable regions. El Niño is expected to significantly worsen global food security by disrupting rainfall patterns, increasing the frequency of droughts, floods, heatwaves and storms, and reducing agricultural production in many regions.
This situation is compounded by the ongoing conflict affecting Black Sea trade routes, and continued instability around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. The current situation combines disruptions to trade and transport with rising risks to production, severely testing market resilience. This is already affecting vulnerable populations. According to the World Food Programme, an estimated 266 million people were already experiencing acute food insecurity in 2025.
For years, Ireland has been a leader in global efforts to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition. We have been raising the current situation internationally, including during my engagements at he United Nations General Assembly in New York last week. We are also providing significant support to international development and humanitarian organisations, including through our child wasting programme, focused on acute child malnutrition in Africa. The Taoiseach and I announced the second phase of the programme in New York. We are also maintaining significant humanitarian assistance to some of the hardest hit and most food insecure areas in the Horn of Africa, Sudan and the Middle East.
Through our Ireland is fully engaged in analysis of the potential impact of the climate and food security crisis. We are supporting the transformation of agriculture and food systems, with a focus on environmental sustainability, climate resilience, healthy diets, and inclusive economic growth. Our support to international agricultural research is also contributing to the development of new crop varieties and genetic innovations, for climate resilience and food security.
Departmental Reports
Questions (66)
Cormac Devlin
Question:66. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for a report on the Shared Island Civic Society Fund. [68957/26]
View answerWritten answers
Since its launch in 2023, the Shared Island Civic Society Fund (SICSF) has provided some €5 million supporting 171 projects across the island of Ireland to encourage practical North-South cooperation and engagement. The maximum grant awarded to any project is €50,00.
The Fund is an important component of the Shared Island initiative, which supports collaboration on joint projects between grassroots community organisations and their cross-border counterparts with the overall objective of strengthening North-South civic, economic and political links.
Some of the sectors supported by the SICSF to date include: Business and Social Enterprise, Community and Voluntary Sector, Environmental Awareness, Migrant Communities, Sport, Trade Unions, Women’s Groups and Youth Engagement.
The SICSF is now in its second, three-year cycle, which will run until 2027, with an annual budget of €2 million. The application window for the fifth round of funding closed on 2 June 2026. Assessments of the applications have taken place, and the approved projects for this round will be announced in the near future.
Full details of all funding rounds can be found on the Shared Island Civic Society Fund website: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-foreign-affairs/services/shared-island-civic-society-fund/.
International Sanctions
Questions (67)
Sean Fleming
Question:67. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her response to the recent removal of EU sanctions from a number of Russian businesspeople. [69020/26]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland supports strong sanctions to pressure Russia to end its illegal aggression in Ukraine.
Ireland and Europe remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine. As Presidency, Ireland is committed to expanding Ukraine’s access to finance, advancing the EU accession process, and maintaining pressure on Russia.
On 22 September, the Council agreed to renew the Ukraine Territorial Integrity sanctions regime until September 2029. The Council also decided not to renew the listings of three individuals and one entity, as well as to remove three deceased persons from the list. The de-listing of two of these individuals represented the conclusion of a difficult compromise.
However, the agreement to renew the regime means that restrictive measures will therefore continue to apply to nearly 3,000 individuals and entities who have been involved in supporting Russia’s illegal aggression in Ukraine.
Until now, these listings have been reviewed and assessed on a six-monthly basis; the decision to renew on a 36 month basis enhances the durability and predictability of the EU sanctions framework.
Further measures to list hundreds of more individuals and entities supporting Russia’s war efforts under this regime are already in train. The High Representative has proposed close to 1,600 additional listings targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex, the largest ever batch of individual EU sanctions.
The Council has also adopted new sanctions for those involved in the deportation of Ukrainian children and the illegal elections in the temporarily occupied territories.
Until Russia ends its illegal aggression, we will continue to increase pressure. We remain steadfast in our unwavering support for Ukraine.
United Nations
Questions (68)
Mark Ward
Question:68. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to comment on the Irish delegations’ participation at the recent UN Assembly meeting; and her response to the Prime Minister of Israel’s speech. [69361/26]
View answerWritten answers
I attended the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly last week in New York. Ireland's delegation was led by an Taoiseach and also included my colleague, Neale Richmond, TD, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora.
This year, reflecting many of our EU Presidency priorities, our focus was on support for multilateralism and the international legal order, addressing the conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan, Ireland's long-standing commitment to human rights and accountability, including in the context of our candidacy for the Human Rights Council for the 2027-2029 term, and on highlighting Ireland's support for the Sustainable Development Goals and humanitarian action.
I co-hosted an event with Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafza on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan five years after the Taliban takeover. This event called on the international community to take action to end the systematic exclusion of women and girls from public life and to address the profound human rights and humanitarian crises in Afghanistan. The Taoiseach also highlighted the unacceptable situation in Afghanistan in Ireland's National Statement to the General Assembly.
UN High-Level Week also provided opportunities to demonstrate Ireland's steadfast support for Ukraine. I participated in a high-level meeting on the forced transfer of Ukrainian children by Russia and joined other Foreign Ministers at an event highlighting the global impact of Russia's illegal war of aggression, including disruption of supply chains, higher prices and increased food insecurity.
At the meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, I underlined Ireland’s commitment to working with partners to end the conflict and achieve a lasting peace based on the two-State solution. The Taoiseach represented Ireland at an event co-hosted by Canada, France, and the UK marking the one-year anniversary of the New York Declaration and launched a Save the Children High-Level Dialogue on Palestinian Children in Military Detention with Queen Rania of Jordan.
At an event on strengthening cooperation for a secure and stable maritime domain, I reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to maritime security, the protection of critical undersea infrastructure, safeguarding freedom of navigation and upholding international law.
I attended the annual meeting of the Informal Ministerial Network for the International Criminal Court to demonstrate Ireland’s solidarity with the ICC and the need to safeguard the integrity of the Court.
Minister of State Richmond's programme provided a critical opportunity to advance Ireland’s priorities on education, food security, humanitarian protection and sustainable development.
The Taoiseach also had a strong focus in his programme on Ireland's long-standing support to development cooperation and humanitarian action, including speaking at a High-Level event with UNICEF on children’s nutrition.
Throughout the week, I also held a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts, as did the Taoiseach and Minister of State Richmond.
I was not present in the General Assembly hall during the National Statement of the Prime Minister of Israel. I have on many previous occasions expressed Ireland’s concern about egregious Israeli breaches of human rights and international law and I regret the approach of the current Israeli government.
Foreign Conflicts
Questions (69)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:69. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her views on the current situation in Lebanon and the Government's position regarding same. [69244/26]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland has welcomed the trilateral framework agreement reached between the US, Israel and Lebanon, and the Israeli commitment to begin withdrawing from Lebanon. Its implementation by all concerned is essential if a sustainable peace is to be achieved.
However it is clear that the ongoing attacks by Israel in southern Lebanon are not helping and are undermining the prospect of a meaningful peace. This continued violation of Lebanese sovereignty is unacceptable.
Ireland has been clear that Israel needs to fully withdraw its military presence from southern Lebanon. The creation of a 'buffer zone' akin to that used by the IDF in Gaza is completely unacceptable, undermines the fragile ceasefire agreement and jeopardises the process of rebuilding Lebanon.
Ireland has consistently and unequivocally condemned Hezbollah for its attacks on Israel, and has stressed the need for it to take steps towards disarmament immediately.
All sides have an obligation to maintain the ceasefire and abide by UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Ireland remains committed to supporting the security forces in fulfilling their role in securing Lebanon and encourages all political parties’ participation in discussions to ensure a full functioning democracy.
Ireland will continue to work with Lebanon, and with EU and international partners to support Lebanon’s future peace and security. I made this point when I met with the Lebanese Foreign Minister in New York, during UN High Level Week.
On the issue of UNIFIL, Ireland can be proud of the role we have played in the UNIFIL peacekeeping operation since 1978. I deeply regret the fact that the UNIFIL mission is coming to an end. It is essential that we agree a new future mission as soon as possible. I discussed this in my recent meeting with UN Under Secretary General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
Concerning a future EU CDSP training mission, Ireland fully supports such a mission as a means of contributing to peace and security in southern Lebanon.
Ireland will continue to work to ensure that the government and the people of Lebanon and are supported in their efforts to secure peace and stability.
International Agreements
Questions (70)
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:70. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on her recent engagements regarding the EU-Israel Association Agreement; and the possible sanctions to be taken against Israel on the basis of its actions against the Palestinian people. [68201/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Israel-Palestine conflict, and the defence of the two-State solution, is a key priority during our Presidency. We are working to ensure that focus is maintained on the dire humanitarian needs in Gaza and the appalling situation in the West Bank.
In particular, we are continuing to press for appropriate action in response to egregious Israeli breaches of international law, human rights and democratic principles. The situation in Gaza and the West Bank was discussed at the Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers that I hosted in Wicklow on 1-2 September.
Ireland’s long-standing position is that the EU-Israel Association Agreement should be suspended, or at a minimum that the trade elements should be suspended. A number of other Member States have supported Ireland’s call for stronger collective EU action, and this is a call that Ireland will continue to make.
In addition, while we have moved ahead at the national level with our own Israeli Settlements Act, Ireland continues to lead the call for an EU-wide prohibition on trade with Israeli settlements. The Government remains clear that collective action at the EU level is the strongest and most effective route to prohibit trade with Israeli settlements.
I have repeatedly called for the European Commission to bring forward proposals in this regard, on the basis of the EU's Common Commercial Policy, to ensure the EU is in compliance with its international obligations.
I am disappointed that the Commission has not come forward with a proposal in this regard that would allow Member States to take a decision. We expect further discussion on this issue by European Ministers.
Question No. 71 answered with Question No. 62.
Departmental Offices
Questions (72)
Seán Kyne
Question:72. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her Department has assessed whether Ireland is out of step with other European Union member states in not maintaining a trade or representative office in Taiwan; and if consideration has been given to reopening an Irish Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei to strengthen economic, trade, cultural and links with Taiwan. [69001/26]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland, along with our EU partners, adheres to the One China Policy. This means that we recognise the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, and that we do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. However, the absence of diplomatic of relations does not preclude the development of economic, cultural and people-to-people connections.
My Department has never maintained an office in Taipei. IDA Ireland, the agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment to Ireland, previously had an office in Taipei but it was closed in 2011 solely based on business reasons. IDA Ireland now manages the Taiwanese market from its Singapore office, and Enterprise Ireland, the agency responsible for enterprise development, manages the market from its office in Hong Kong.
I am aware that some EU Member States have trade offices in Taipei, and I note that the EU has maintained its European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei since 2003. However, it is important to note that decisions on the opening of new offices by the Government are taken on the basis of need and how best to promote our own interests abroad rather than to match the approach of other countries.
There are currently no plans to establish a trade and cultural office in Taipei. The establishment of new offices is always kept under review. The opening of new offices is a resource-intensive process. Decisions are evaluated on the basis of a number of factors, including cost-benefit considerations and whether it is possible for existing offices to adequately cover the work. Ultimately there are a range of policy considerations before such decisions are taken, including alignment with Government policy.
International Relations
Questions (73)
Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Question:73. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way in which she is promoting diplomatic and trade relations with Barbados. [68995/26]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland is committed to promoting its diplomatic and trade relations with Barbados, including in the context of our EU Presidency.
Under our Second Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean we opened Ireland’s Office for the Caribbean, based in Miami in 2024. The Office works to strengthen diplomatic, trade, and cultural links with the Caribbean and Barbados. Ireland’s first Ambassador to Barbados, accredited from Washington, presented credentials to the President of Barbados in June 2024. Barbados established an Embassy in Dublin in 2024, which was officially opened during the visit of Prime Minister Mia Mottley in May this year. Prime Minister Mottley met President Connolly and the Taoiseach during her visit which was an important signal of the growing relationship between our islands.
Barbados was also a central part of our Ireland-Latin America and Caribbean Trade Horizons Forum, a high-level trade promotion event co-hosted by my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in May. The Foreign Minister of Barbados was the keynote speaker and a delegation from Invest Barbados also participated. During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding on an Air Services Agreement with Barbados was exchanged. Ireland continues to promote trade with Barbados, and will support the ‘Invest Barbados’ Ireland Investment event in Barbados in November this year. Bilateral trade with Barbados has increased significantly over the past five years with a mutual commitment to further economic growth.
Ireland also maintains relations with Barbados as a Small Island Developing State. In 2026, Irish Aid launched a €250,000 project with the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency (CDEMA), based in Barbados to focus on capacity building for disaster risk management.
As Ireland begins preparations for its next Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean, we look forward to building on the close partnership we have with Barbados and the region.