Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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43. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there are plans to open a new Irish Consulate General Office in Gothenburg, Sweden. [38248/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government does not have plans to open a Consulate General in Gothenburg.

My Department’s officials at the Embassy of Ireland in Stockholm actively engage with the Irish communities across Sweden and promote the deepening of Ireland’s political, economic and cultural relations there, as well as performing a range of consular services.

The Embassy is in ongoing contact with the vibrant and active Irish community in Gothenburg regarding their ambitions to further develop cultural and community activities. In the context of Gothenburg’s 400^thanniversary, the Ambassador represented Ireland at the official ceremony this summer, and in partnership with Tourism Ireland, the Embassy has secured Irish participation at the Gothenburg Cultural Festival this month.

In 2021, the Government launched Global Ireland: A Strategy for the Nordic Region to 2025, the first-ever comprehensive strategy to deepen our engagement with Irish communities in the Nordic region and to advance Ireland’s political, economic and cultural relations with Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

Under this Nordic Strategy, the Honorary Consul Network in the region is under continued examination. Any recommendation by my Department regarding the opening of a new diplomatic mission is considered with reference to Ireland’s overall national, political and economic priorities and to supporting Irish citizens. Under the Global Ireland programme 2018-2025, the Government keeps the expansion of our diplomatic network under active review.