Written answers
Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Diplomatic Representation
Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein)
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45. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if, in the history of the State, diplomatic status has even been given to representatives of a political movement (such as the African National Congress or Palestine Liberation Organization), as opposed to the more standard diplomatic status for representatives of a State; and if this has not been granted, if he could explain how relations between the State and the ANC prior to the fall of Apartheid, or relations between the State and the PLO prior to the establishment of the Mission of Palestine in Dublin, were coordinated. [1559/24]
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Article 2 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, provides that: “The establishment of diplomatic relations between States, and of permanent diplomatic missions, takes place by mutual consent.”
Ireland became a state party to the Vienna Convention in 1967 and its provisions were given the force of law in the State by the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967. Accordingly, the immunities and privileges set out in the Vienna Convention apply here by law to the accredited diplomats and the diplomatic missions of states with which Ireland has established diplomatic relations. Only states may become parties to the Vienna Convention and therefore under the 1967 Act, the immunities and privileges set out in the Convention can only apply to diplomatic representatives and missions of states. On this basis, the question of granting diplomatic status in Ireland to representatives of political movements, such as the African National Congress (ANC) or the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) did not arise.
A Palestinian Information Office operated in Dublin from 1985 until 1991. From checks of accessible records from the period concerned, it appears that any contacts or exchanges which took place between the Government and the Palestinian side prior to the establishment of the Palestinian Mission in Dublin, or with ANC representatives prior to the fall of apartheid, did so informally.
The establishment of the Delegation of Palestine in Dublin took place in December 1993 by decision of the Government on an administrative basis and involved the granting of certain functional privileges as a courtesy. By further decision in January 2011, and in line with similar decisions by other EU partners, the Government agreed to upgrade the status of the Delegation to its current “Palestinian Mission” title and that of its Delegate-General to “Ambassador-Head of Mission.”
Full diplomatic relations were established between Ireland and South Africa in 1993 and the South African Embassy in Dublin opened in 1995.
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