Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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48. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade what plans are in place to upgrade the representative office of Ireland in Palestine to full embassy status and to appoint an ambassador, in light of the recognition by Ireland of the State of Palestine last year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3413/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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On 28 May 2024, the Government decided to formally recognise the State of Palestine as a sovereign, independent State, within the territory defined by the 1967 borders referenced in UN Security Council resolution 242 (1967). Norway and Spain made similar announcements on the same date. Slovenia recognised Palestine shortly afterwards.

Ireland’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine was an expression of our clear view that it is time Palestine takes its full place amongst the nations of the world and our belief in the equal right to self-determination, peace, security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians alike. The aspirations of both peoples must be afforded equal legitimacy, based on a two-State solution that delivers a just and sustainable peace.

An exchange of diplomatic notes confirming the establishment of full diplomatic relations was completed on 29 September 2024.

Ms Jilan S.S. Abdalmajid presented her Letter of Credence to President Higgins on 17 December 2024, and, at that point, formally assumed the role of Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Ireland.

Ireland’s Representative Office in Ramallah is treated as a full diplomatic mission by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the position of Head of Mission is an Ambassador-level post that – in common with other such appointments – is approved by Government decision. It has been the practice of other states that have recognised the State of Palestine and that have diplomatic missions there to maintain the title of Representative Office following the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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49. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of honorary consuls appointed by Ireland, by country; the basis on which honorary consuls are recruited and appointed; their terms of reference; what diplomatic privileges they enjoy, if any; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3415/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland currently has 94 Honorary Consuls operating in 55 countries across the globe, (see below list of countries where our Honorary Consuls are based). Our global network of Honorary Consuls offers vital support to the Government across a range of priorities, including providing a means of meeting the needs of Irish citizens in regions where we do not have a resident diplomatic Mission.

The services provided by the network include responding to enquiries in relation to passports, visas and travel to Ireland, as well as providing vital assistance in emergency consular assistance cases. Our Honorary Consuls also have an important role in promoting the broader interests of the State overseas. They support Irish diplomatic missions and the relevant State Agencies in establishing connections to key local stakeholders, in areas such as business, politics, culture and education.

The position of an Honorary Consul is honorary in nature - unsalaried and non-pensionable. An appointment to the role is generally made upon the recommendation of the relevant accredited diplomatic mission, for an initial period of 3 years, with the potential for renewal thereafter.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade operates a comprehensive and robust system for managing appointments to Ireland’s Honorary Consul network. In order to identify a pool of potential candidates, expressions of interest are sought through public advertising of the position, before a selection process is undertaken to find the most suitable candidate to fill the role. Once the successful candidate has been identified, the agreement of the host country must be obtained before the new Honorary Consul can be officially appointed.

The functions, privileges and immunities of Honorary Consuls are set out in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963. The Diplomatic and Consular Relations Act, 1967 gave the Convention the force of law in the State and enabled Ireland to ratify the Convention the same year.

The position of Irish Honorary Consuls is covered under Irish law by the Diplomatic and Consular Officers (Provision of Services) Act, 1993.

List of locations of Honorary Consuls of Ireland

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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50. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of honorary consuls of other countries in Ireland, broken down by country, the basis on which they are accredited, what diplomatic privileges they enjoy, if any; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3416/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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A table containing the information requested by the Deputy is set out below.

The functions, privileges and immunities of Honorary Consuls and their legal status in Ireland derives from the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963, as given effect in Irish law by the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967.

Consular functions as performed by Honorary Consuls on behalf of foreign nominating states are governed by Article 5 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Chapter III of the Convention governs the facilities, privileges and immunities of Honorary Consuls.

In Ireland, Honorary Consuls as appointed by foreign states are typically Irish nationals or nationals from the foreign state concerned who are permanently resident here. They carry out important work in support of nationals of the foreign state concerned who may require consular or other forms of practical assistance in a range of scenarios, and frequently operate in liaison with Irish State authorities as necessary.

In this context, and in accordance with the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act, 1967, Honorary Consuls are only eligible for immunities from civil jurisdiction in respect of official acts performed in the exercise of their official functions. In particular, Honorary Consuls do not enjoy personal inviolability and are subject to criminal jurisdiction. Privileges for which they are eligible are limited to tax exemptions on their official emoluments as paid to them by the foreign state concerned and exemption from public duties such as jury service.

There are currently 72 Honorary Consuls in Ireland representing 51 foreign states. A full list of these Honorary Consuls is also available on the Diplomatic List as maintained by my Department via the www.ireland.ie website.