47. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there are plans to open a new Irish Consulate General Office in Milan in 2027. [61504/26]

Ireland’s Consulate General in Milan opened in September 2024, marking a significant deepening of Ireland’s engagement with Italy. The opening follows from the ‘Global Ireland – Ireland’s Global Footprint to 2025’ initiative to expand Ireland’s presence overseas, and is a testament to the importance Ireland attaches to our relationship with Italy. We are close partners in the EU, and have very strong bilateral relations, sharing important cultural, economic, political, and people-to-people ties.

The Consulate General in Milan represents Ireland across the northern Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino-Alto Adige, Valle d’Aosta, and Veneto.

By joining Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia, and Tourism Ireland - already present and promoting Irish interests in Milan and the north of Italy - the Consulate General has strengthened Ireland’s presence in and relationship with these regions. Alongside building on and complementing the work carried out by the Embassy of Ireland in Rome and state agencies in Milan, the Consulate General has enhanced the support my Department can provide to Irish citizens living and travelling in the north of Italy.

In addition to the inauguration of the Consulate General in Milan, Ireland has further expanded its consular network in Italy with the appointment of two Honorary Consuls in Palermo and Venice in May 2026. The expansion of Ireland's footprint in Italy provides key opportunities to deepen the already excellent ties between Ireland and Italy, while reinforcing the support my Department can provide to Irish citizens.