Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has longstanding ties with Singapore and Malaysia and this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with both countries. In line with the Government’s Asia Pacific Strategy, my Department aims to deepen its engagement with countries in South East Asia, including Malaysia and Singapore. In this context, an additional posted staff member was assigned to Ireland’s Embassy in Singapore and our Embassy in Kuala Lumpur in the last 12 months.

In the 50 years since diplomatic relations were established, the relationship between Ireland and Singapore has developed significantly. Ireland opened a resident embassy in Singapore in 2000 which now forms part of a strong Team Ireland presence, comprising Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. These State Agencies are co-located in the new Ireland House, which opened this year, signifying the potential we see in our relationship with Singapore. Officials in my Department are in regular communication with the High Commission of the Republic of Singapore in London, which is accredited to Ireland.

In March of this year, Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton TD travelled to Singapore to mark St. Patrick’s Day. In November 2023, Minister of State Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD visited Singapore as part of an Enterprise Ireland trade mission. In July 2022, as Taoiseach, I visited Singapore and met with then-Prime Minister Lee and Deputy Prime Minister Wong, now Prime Minister. In January 2024, Singapore’s Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung visited Ireland and met with Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and Minister of State Dara Calleary.

The Irish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur opened in 1995 and Malaysia’s Embassy in Dublin opened in 2001. Ireland also has significant engagement with Malaysia though our state agencies. In 2021, Enterprise Ireland placed a full-time Education in Ireland representative in Kuala Lumpur, co-locating with the Embassy. Malaysia is a priority market for Bord Bia, which operates in South East Asia from its office in Singapore.

In November 2023, Minister of State Martin Heydon visited Malaysia as part of a Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Bord Bia trade mission. Minister of State Niall Collins visited Malaysia for St. Patrick’s Day in 2023.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Since Ireland's Consulate General was established in Manchester, North of England, in 2021, the Consul General and Vice Consul have engaged extensively with a wide range of figures from across the region to strengthen political, commercial, community and cultural ties between Ireland and the North of England. These ties are significant, as was evidenced by President Higgin’s recent visit to Manchester to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester. The Consulate continues to be a physical testament to the importance that the Irish Government places on the relationship with the North of England, and to our ambitions for the relationship between Britain and Ireland.

The Consul General has not met with the Lord Mayor of Newcastle in 2024 to date. The Vice Consul participated in St Patrick’s Day events in Newcastle organised by the local Irish community on 17 March, alongside the Lord Mayor and the Lord-Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, but did not hold a formal meeting with the Lord Mayor. As the Deputy will be aware, the Lord Mayor of Newcastle is an honorary position which changes on a yearly basis.

An official meeting took place with the Lord Mayor of Newcastle in May 2022. The Consul General also met with the Mayor of North of Tyne in 2021 and 2022. This office has now been reformed and expanded to that of the Mayor of the North East.