Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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152. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will give consideration to the opening of an embassy in Lima, Peru, given our strengthening relationship, since Peru have a resident Ambassador here since 2017, the growing trade and travel opportunities between both countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32658/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In June 2018, the Government launched Global Ireland: Ireland’s Global Footprint to 2025. The strategy aims to see Ireland’s global footprint and influence double in the period to 2025, including through an expanded and strengthened diplomatic presence.

Under the Global Ireland strategy, 27 diplomatic missions have been opened or have been approved and will open shortly. The Embassy of Ireland in Chile was opened in 2019 and provides the platform from which we are strengthening and deepening our relationship with Peru.

Ireland’s excellent bilateral relationship with Peru has also been strengthened through the implementation of the Global Ireland Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean, which seeks to enhance relations with the countries of the region across several key areas of engagement.

In 2024, Ireland and Peru marked the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, with the then Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary TD, travelling to Peru as part of the St Patrick’s Day programme and to mark this important milestone.

My Department maintains regular diplomatic contacts with Peru, primarily though our Ambassador in Santiago, who travels there frequently to meet the Irish community and with government, business and cultural contacts. The Department also has regular and positive engagement with Peru through its Embassy in Dublin.

The Government reviews the network of diplomatic missions on an ongoing basis, and will do so in the context of the successor to the Global Ireland Strategy agreed in the Programme for Government. In considering locations for new Missions, a range of factors are taken into account including the needs of Irish citizens overseas, our national, political, economic and trade priorities, as well as the availability of resources.