John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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125. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade what initiatives his Department’s embassies are taking to gain international recognition of St. Brigid’s Day, with a particular reference to the 1,500th anniversary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3744/24]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland's embassies and consulates undertake a wide range of diplomatic activities as part of their work to maintain Ireland's positive international profile and to support issues and initiatives which are of particular interest to us.

In that context, Ireland's diplomatic network has been to the fore in efforts in recent years to raise awareness of St. Brigid's Day and to establish the day as an international celebration of Irish women's achievements.

In February 2018, to mark St. Brigid's Day, the Embassy of Ireland in London hosted a celebration of the creativity and achievements of Irish women, which was a resounding success. In the years since, St. Brigid's Day has been celebrated across Ireland's diplomatic network, developing into what is now an annual global programme.

This year is a very special year, being the 1,500th anniversary of the death of St. Brigid, and that will be reflected in the celebratory events being organised by our missions. While my Department provides funding, missions themselves, often working with State agencies and other local partners, devise the events, missions being best placed to judge what is most suitable in their host countries.

So far this year, my Department has confirmed funding for over 60 events, hosted by 51 of our missions, with others expected to be added to that list in the run up to St. Brigid's Day. Included in those events are panel discussions, cultural performances, mentoring sessions and exhibitions, to name just a few.

The list of participating missions confirmed to date is:

Abu Dhabi

Abuja

Addis Ababa

Atlanta

Austin

Beijing

Berlin

Berne

Boston

Brasilia

Brussels

Budapest

Cairo

Canberra

Cardiff

Chicago

Copenhagen

Edinburgh

Frankfurt

Holy See

Helsinki

Hong Kong

Jakarta

Lisbon

London

Luxembourg

Lyon

Madrid

Mexico

Miami

Mumbai

Nairobi

New York

Nicosia

Ottawa

Paris

Prague

Rabat

Riga

Santiago

Stockholm

Strasbourg

Sydney

The Hague

Tokyo

Toronto

Valetta

Vienna

Vienna OSCE

Warsaw

Wellington.