Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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662. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to open a new consulate general office in Phuket, Thailand. [1888/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland and Thailand enjoy strong bilateral relations. While the COVID19 pandemic has seen a decrease in travel, Thailand remains a popular destination for Irish citizens. Ireland opened an Embassy in Thailand in 2014. The Embassy, located in Bangkok, is responsible for all consular issues affecting the Irish community likely to arise in Thailand. There are no plans to open a Consulate General office in Phuket. 

In June 2018, the Government launched the Global Ireland initiative, which aims to double the impact of Ireland’s global footprint by 2025. To date 14 new missions have been opened, with a further five planned. In considering any further expansion of the Diplomatic network a range of factors will be taken into account including our national, political, economic and trade priorities, as well as the availability of resources. The Government is conscious of the factors that might warrant the opening of new Missions in a number of countries and will keep the matter under active review.