Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the recent activities of the Irish Consulate in Mumbai including staffing number [49808/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Consulate General of Ireland in Mumbai opened in 2019 in an Ireland House format, co-located with Enterprise Ireland and IDA offices. The Consulate is a three diplomat mission, supported by three local staff, and covers the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa, as well as the Union Territories of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The Consulate provides consular support and assistance to Irish citizens in India, including those in difficulty, as well as a range of consular services. It works to create opportunities for Irish companies seeking to do business in India, and opportunities for trade with, and investment in, Ireland by Indian businesses. It hosts events for the clients and key contacts of the Irish State Agencies at Ireland House, and supports Irish exporters in terms of entering the Indian market. For example, the Consulate will next month host another event with Bord Bia connecting small-scale Irish spirit manufacturers with Indian importers and distributors. The Consulate also provides analysis of economic and political developments in India.

The Consulate is also actively working to raise the profile of Ireland through Irish culture and sports. Recent events in this vein have included an inaugural Irish Film Festival in Mumbai which included opportunities to promote Ireland as a filming location for the Indian film industry, a celebration of the 160th birthday of William Butler Yeats, an event highlighting the achievements of Irish women on St Brigid’s Day, and an event organised on the occasion of the Irish Women's Cricket Team when they played against their Indian counterparts in Gujarat earlier this year.

Together with the Embassy and State Agencies, the Consulate coordinates programmes for visiting Ministers, including programmes to mark Saint Patrick’s Day each March. This year, the Consulate received the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science as part of his programme in India, for a visit focused on attracting Indian students to Ireland and strengthening links between Irish and Indian HEIs. The Consulate provides ongoing support to Enterprise Ireland as it promotes Ireland as a destination for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Last week, the Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate in Mumbai hosted a delegation of senior Irish officials from my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, which involved engagements with influential Indian entrepreneurs, businesses, and trade groups, in support of trade, investment and economic links.