Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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309. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has spoken with the South African ambassador to Ireland in the past six months. [59074/22]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland and South Africa have a strong relationship, built on cultural, business and people-to-people links. South Africa is home to the largest Irish community in Africa, with an estimated 35,000 Irish passport-holders, and is Ireland’s largest trading partner in Africa. South Africa is a like-minded country on many important foreign policy issues, and is a valued partner.

I travelled to South Africa in February 2022 to co-chair the most recent meeting of the South Africa-Ireland Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) with my South African counterpart, Minister Alvin Botes. The JCC is the structured mechanism for bilateral cooperation between South Africa and Ireland.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, at political level and official level, engages regularly with the Ambassador of South Africa, including at events such as the Africa Ireland Economic Forum in June 2022 and the National Day of Commemoration in July 2022, and through regular meetings at senior official level.

The Ambassador of Ireland to South Africa also maintains regular engagement with the authorities in South Africa, including at Ministerial level. In September, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, officially launched an exhibition developed by the Embassy of Ireland in Pretoria on Irish solidarity with the Anti-Apartheid Movement.

We look forward to continued positive engagement with the government of South Africa through the Embassy of South Africa in Ireland, and through Ireland’s Embassy in Pretoria.