Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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447. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide the names of the honorary consuls, by location and country; the term of office of each consul; if he proposes to appoint any consul; if so, the process of appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27440/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Full details for Ireland’s Honorary Consuls abroad are available on the Department’s website . The general practice now is that Honorary Consuls are appointed for a five year term. However, the specific tenure of each individual Honorary Consul appointment may vary in accordance with the terms agreed at the initial date of appointment and any contract put in place at that time. Our network of Honorary Consuls is kept under ongoing review, including with respect to the needs of Irish communities, the trade potential of countries or regions in which we do not have an Embassy or career Consulate, and other circumstances such as the retirement of existing Honorary Consuls.

Depending on the particular needs or opportunities identified in the relevant city or region, the accredited Embassy will draw up a short list of interested parties and a final candidate is then selected based on suitability for the role and appointed in accordance with any local procedures in place.