Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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68. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to respond to concerns (details supplied) that his Department’s diaspora survey did not include questions related to housing. [46742/25]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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In line with the Programme for Government commitment to develop our next Diaspora Strategy, I am leading an extensive consultation process with our diaspora both in person and online. The aim of this process is to ensure that the next strategy can reflect the needs of the global Irish community in an ever changing world.

To date, I have also led in-person discussions with community groups overseas, including in Nairobi, Brussels, Boston, Philadelphia, Manchester, Glasgow, London Abu Dhabi and Dubai with further consultations in the coming months in  the US, Canada and in Ireland.  In June, I hosted a very engaging roundtable discussion in Iveagh House with colleagues from both Houses of the Oireachtas. 

These in-person consultations are being supplemented by an online consultation, the Global Irish Survey, which was open throughout the summer and concluded on the 31 August 2025. The survey was a mix of multi-choice questions and reflective spaces, the latter of which were intended to provide an opportunity for respondents to share their views on a range of issues of importance to them and their community overseas, including, where relevant, potential barriers to return to Ireland such as access to housing, recognition of overseas qualifications and registering for public services.  Over 10,000 responses were received and these views will now be collated and analysed. 

I would like to thank all those who took part in these consultations, both in person and online.   The engagements, have been positive and well received and the views expressed will make a  contribution to our new strategy.