Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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130. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he plans to visit Portugal this year. [21290/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland enjoys strong and warm bilateral relations with Portugal.

2022 marked the 80^thanniversary of diplomatic relations and saw a range of activities and visits undertaken, including a successful State Visit to Ireland by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa last October. Engagement between our two countries continues to grow. Two Ministerial visits to Portugal have already taken place in 2023 and a number of others are expected in the coming weeks and months.

As Taoiseach, I travelled to Portugal in May 2021 in the context of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union to participate in an informal European Council meeting, Social Summit and EU-India Leaders meeting. I would welcome the opportunity to do so again at some point in the future and look forward to exploring suitable opportunities with my Portuguese counterpart should they arise over the period ahead.

My colleague, the Minister of State for European Affairs, Deputy Burke, has accepted an invitation from his Portuguese counterpart, to attend a meeting of the European Atlantic Group in Portugal on 23 May.