Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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264. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to reopen the embassy in Tehran; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40920/16]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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265. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to reopen the consulate in Cardiff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40921/16]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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266. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to expand the embassy and consular network in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40922/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 264 to 266, inclusive, together.

My Department takes a range of factors into account when considering the expansion of the Embassy and Consular network overseas. These factors include our national political, economic and trade priorities, as well as the availability of resources. The configuration and scale of the State’s diplomatic and consular network is kept under ongoing review by the Government.

At present the Embassy of Ireland in Ankara is accredited on a concurrent basis to Iran. Ireland is also represented in Iran by an Honorary Consul. The Government is of course conscious of the political, economic and trade factors that might warrant the opening of a resident diplomatic mission in Iran – as in a number of other countries. This will be taken fully into account in the work that is ongoing.

Ireland’s bilateral relationship with Wales will continue to be fully sustained and promoted through Ireland’s Embassy in London, which has prioritised this objective. Work on Ireland’s relations with Wales and the Welsh Government will also be carried out with Welsh Government representatives.