Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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127. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has spoken directly with the Irish Consul General in Sydney in the past three months. [26345/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I engage regularly with officials in my department with responsibility for bilateral relations including relations with Australia. I am also briefed on developments in Australia when necessary and recently met with senior officials to discuss current areas of engagement. These briefings incorporate valuable information provided by our network of Embassies and Consulate Generals.

This March, as part of the St Patrick’s Day programme, Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, visited Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, with political engagement, trade and investment promotion, community events and media encounters. In February of this year, senior officials in my department held bilateral consultations in Canberra, to discuss Ireland-Australia relations and areas of bilateral engagement. Our Ambassador to Canberra and our Consul General in Sydney were closely involved in facilitating both of these visits.