John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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393. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade If he will provide an update on plans to open an Irish Embassy in Cuba; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4777/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Embassy of Ireland in Mexico City currently holds Ireland's accreditation to Cuba and is actively engaged on the bilateral relationship with Cuba, regularly interacting with the Cuban authorities, the Irish community in Cuba and the EU Delegation in Havana.

Officials in my Department maintain frequent contact with the Embassy of Cuba in Dublin on a range of issues and initiatives in support of enhancing bilateral relations. Most recently, a Memorandum of Cooperation on Sport between Ireland and Cuba was signed in December 2022 between the relevant Cuban and Irish authorities, which will facilitate cooperation and exchange in this area.

Last year, Ireland launched its first-ever Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean. This Strategy has already seen a step-change in Ireland's engagement with the thirty-three countries of the region, including Cuba, across a range of areas.

There are no imminent plans to open a resident Embassy of Ireland in Cuba. I am confident however that the Cuba-Ireland bilateral relationship will continue to benefit from the ongoing implementation of the Strategy and the work of the respective Embassies across a range of areas.