Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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161. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the key elements of Budget 2026 for his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57051/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The increased allocations in Budget 2026 for Vote 27 International Co-operation and Vote 28 Foreign Affairs and Trade will support Irish citizens and promote Ireland’s values and interests around the world.

€10 million in support of the operations of the global mission network including the opening five new Embassies and Consulates to support Irish citizens and businesses around the world and strengthen Ireland’s international footprint under the Global Ireland 2025 Strategy. The Department now has over 100 Embassies and Consulates around the world promoting Ireland every day as a place to visit, work, invest or study.

There will also be a new allocation of €2.5 million to reinforce Ireland’s Embassy and Consulates General across the USA and strengthen Ireland’s presence in key locations around the world as part of the Government’s Market Diversification Strategy. This is a direct response to the new global trade challenges.

The Budget will also increase Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocation (Vote 27) by €30 million to a record €840 million. This will provide record levels in humanitarian and development support around the world in 2026.

Budget 2026 also sees additional investment in the Passport Service and support for Irish citizens living overseas.

There is an additional €1 million into the Emigrant Support Programme which will support the government’s new Diaspora Strategy and the continued focus on strengthening healing and relationships on the island of Ireland with an increase of €0.5 million in the Reconciliation Fund rising to the overall allocation here to €9.5 million in 2026.

In addition, 2026 will be an important year for Ireland in Europe as Ireland takes on the EU Presidency in the second half of the year. Ireland’s EU Presidency will be a whole-of-government priority led and coordinated by this Department. The government has committed central funding to facilitate the delivery of a successful presidency for Ireland.

Budget 2026 will see an additional investment of €1.3 million towards programmes focused on EU enlargement and on citizen engagement on the EU in Ireland.