Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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141. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way in which services and supports for Ireland’s diaspora have been expanded since 2020; the key priorities for the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58865/25]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Under Global Ireland 2025, we have opened 25 new embassies or consulates general around the world from Wellington to Vancouver. Two new consulates general will become operational in 2026, in Malaga and Melbourne. A key priority for all our missions is to develop, deepen and modernise our engagement with the diaspora.

This work is underpinned by the Emigrant Support Programme, which is overseen by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Since 2020, over €90m million has been allocated in support of delivering the priorities of the government’s diaspora strategy to organisations and projects around the world and in Ireland.

During this period, the emphasis of the ESP has remained on supporting culturally sensitive, frontline welfare services, targeted at the most vulnerable members of our overseas communities. We continued to support lunch clubs and other activities for seniors, while also enhancing our engagement with those supporting survivors of institutional abuse and providing end of life care. We also work with partners providing advice services to newer arrivals to help them adapt to their new homes.

The ESP also funds projects that nurture our identity, promote our sports, culture and language and build strong business and other professional networks overseas that work with us to strengthen trade, business, tourism research and education links. We have also strengthened our support for those seeking to return home, such as the Back for Business initiative and the Returning to Ireland site on the Citizens Information website.

Our support is also more than just financial as embassies and consulates provide a range of in-kind support, acting as a platform for organisations, promoting their events across social media and other networks and often hosting them in our Ireland House space. In addition to engagement undertaken by this Department, other government departments and agencies also work closely with the diaspora.

With our current diaspora strategy expiring at the end of this year, work is well underway on developing our next strategy, which will set out our priorities for the next 5 years. To ensure the voices of the diaspora are heard in the development of the strategy, I am leading a series of in-person engagements to hear first-hand the challenges facing the diaspora, and how they wish their communities to develop. Across more than 20 formal consultations over the last 9 months, the Minister has met with community representatives across the world including in US, Canada, Great Britain, Africa the Middle East and Europe. The in-person consultations have been supplemented by the first ever on line survey of the Irish Abroad – the Global Irish Survey - which received over 10,000 responses.

The aim of the new strategy is to ensure our relationship with our global Irish communities is a dynamic one that meets their needs and can also adapt to evolving circumstances. The strategy will be launched at the fourth Global Irish Civic Forum in April 2026 in Croke Park.