Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade hosts the 2025 Consular Forum

Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, today (11 December) opened the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Consular Forum in Iveagh House. The Consular Forum is the Department’s flagship consular assistance event, which brings together key stakeholders and partners, both national and international, who play an essential role in supporting Irish citizens overseas, with a view to sharing experience and best consular assistance practice.

The theme for this year’s Forum was ‘Crisis Planning and Response, Collaboration, and Consular Assistance’, framed against a backdrop several recent global crises. Minister Richmond delivered the keynote speech at the Forum, addressing participants and guests from the US State Department, the EU External Action Service, EU Member States and other diplomatic partners, Government Departments, NGOs, and the travel sector.

Minister Richmond, noting the 1,900 new cases the Department has dealt with so far in 2025, stressed the importance of close collaboration, particularly during crises. The Minister stated: “The Department and colleagues from across the Mission network have worked intensively, in close collaboration with many present today, to ensure the safety of Irish citizens and, where necessary, friends of Ireland, worldwide.”

Minister Richmond continued: “In an increasingly connected world, our citizens are travelling further afield and more often, with an increase in the range and complexity of consular cases.” He also pointed to the fact that the Department has assisted record numbers of death-related cases abroad, including marked increases in cases of mental-health distress for individuals while travelling overseas.

Notes:

During the Forum, participants reflected on emerging challenges and opportunities in consular assistance, particularly in the context of crisis planning and response, with the Minister highlighting the extensive support given to Irish citizens and their families in Lebanon, Syria and Iran, as well as the work done to facilitate evacuations of more than 250 people from Gaza to Ireland.

In keeping with the focus on sharing best practice, Professor Maeve Eogan of the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) presented on sexual violence in the context of international travel.

The Forum concluded with the inaugural TravelWise Spotlight award, which recognised the outstanding contribution of the Irish Red Cross Society to Ireland’s consular work, most recently in the context of the Gaza Medevac Initiative.