Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many official representatives of the government of the Republic of Ireland are employed in the UK; and at which locations.

We have interpreted "official representatives" to mean diplomatic agents or consular officers. Article 1(e) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 defines "diplomatic agent" as "the head of the mission or a member of the diplomatic staff of the mission". Article 1(1)(d) of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 defines "consular officer" as "any person, including the head of a consular post, entrusted in that capacity with the exercise of consular functions".

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) publishes details of foreign embassies, high commissions and consular posts in the UK on gov.uk, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk. This page includes the London Diplomatic List which contains the addresses and contact details of all embassies and high commissions, as well as the names of heads of mission and other diplomatic agents appointed in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961. The entry for the Embassy of Ireland, as of February 2023, lists 24 diplomatic agents in the locations set out below.

Embassy of Ireland

17 Grosvenor Place SW1X 7HR

Passport & Visa Office

114A Cromwell Road SW7 4ES

In addition, consular officials are appointed to the Consulates General of Ireland in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Manchester. FCDO records list 6 consular officers appointed to the Consulate General of Ireland in Edinburgh; 3 consular officers to the Consulate General of Ireland in Cardiff; and 2 consular officers appointed to the Consulate General of Ireland in Manchester.