Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Vote 27 (International Cooperation).

The work of our embassy and consulate network around the world continues to be important in Ireland’s economic recovery and the restoration of our international reputation. Our Embassies’ work in support of Ireland’s interests includes:

- Promoting Ireland as a source of high-quality exports, a destination for investment, research, study and tourism to targeted audiences and contacts.

- Supporting trade missions and other trade-focussed high-level visits, record numbers of which have taken place in the last five years.

- Directly assisting Irish companies with advice, introductions and working to resolve regulatory or market access issues, in partnership with Enterprise Ireland.-

- Providing frontline consular and passport services to Irish citizens overseas.

- Influencing and negotiating for Ireland on issues that could impact our interests and priorities.

The average cost of running an Embassy in 2016 was just over €1m while the average cost of a Consulate in the same year was €930k. In consideration of these figures regards has to be taken to the range of Embassies from a one person operation such as Riga in Latvia to much larger scale Embassies such as London.