Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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356. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has spoken directly with the Irish Consul General in Sydney to date in 2022. [28080/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Although I have not had a meeting so far in 2022 with our Consul General in Sydney, I am kept fully informed of the Consulate's work by officials in my Department, who are in almost daily communication with the office.  

In April, I was pleased to host the first in-person gathering of our Heads of Mission and senior management since the onset of COVID-19. During the Conference I engaged with Ireland's Ambassadors and Consuls General from around the world. Ireland's Consul General in Sydney participated in the Conference.

I would like to again pay tribute to the staff of the Consulate General for their exceptional efforts throughout the pandemic when they provided extraordinary and uninterrupted assistance to the large Irish and Irish-Australian community in New South Wales.  In addition to providing consular services, the Consulate General has continued its broad range of activities promoting Ireland’s interests, especially in promoting our economic links with New South Wales.