Minister McEntee and Minister Byrne welcome establishment of new Consulate General in Málaga

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, and the Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD, have welcomed the establishment of a new Consulate General in Málaga, marking a significant milestone in Ireland’s relationship with Spain and our Global Ireland programme. Ireland’s new Consul General in Málaga has now taken up duty, with the mission set to begin providing consular services in the coming months.

The Consulate General in Málaga is Ireland’s newest diplomatic mission being opened under the Global Ireland Strategy, which has established a total of 27 new missions to date and has greatly enhanced Ireland’s global diplomatic network.

The Government made the decision to open the Consulate General of Ireland in Málaga in response to the continued growth in the number of Irish visitors to Spain, a significant number of whom travel to the south and to the Canary Islands. In 2025, the number of visitors from Ireland to Spain surpassed three million, the most from any country in per capita terms, making Spain the most popular destination for Irish holidaymakers.

Welcoming this development, Minister McEntee said: “Our new mission in Málaga will be a significant addition to our diplomatic network in addressing the needs of our citizens, both visiting and resident in southern Spain.

“The opening of the Consulate General is also a strong signal of the importance Ireland attaches to our bilateral relationship with Spain and having a presence in Málaga will allow opportunities to deepen our political, economic and cultural relations in the region.”

The Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD, commented: “Málaga and the region of Andalucía are home to a large and valued Irish community. This new Consulate General in Málaga reflects the dynamic Irish presence in the south of Spain and Ireland’s deepening relationship with Spain. The new Consulate General in Málaga will strengthen our support for Irish citizens, build political and business relationships, and expand public diplomacy efforts in the region.”

ENDS

Press Office

24 April 2026

Notes to Editors:

Under Global Ireland 2025 - a whole of government strategy with the aim of doubling Ireland’s influence and footprint in the period 2018-2025 - 27 missions have been opened to date.

The 27 missions are: embassies in Kyiv, Rabat, Wellington, Bogotá, Amman, Monrovia, Santiago de Chile, Tehran, Manila, Dakar, Islamabad, Belgrade, Chisinau and Sarajevo; and consulates general in Vancouver, Mumbai, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Cardiff, Manchester, Lyon, Miami, Toronto, Milan, Munich, Málaga and Melbourne.

This expansion has been complemented by the strengthening of strategically important missions, including by the assignment of additional staff from several government departments.