One-in-five consular cases in 2025 related to death of Irish citizens overseas

Ottoline Spearman

More than one-in-five of all new consular cases in 2025 related to the death of an Irish citizen overseas.

Last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs assisted nearly 2,000 citizens - which is the fourth year in a row that consular cases have increased.

In total, there were 1,981 cases dealt with by the department, which saw them help with overseas deaths, missing person cases, arrests and mental health incidents.

There were also over 59,000 documents issued for Irish people overseas, with more than 2,400 civil letters of freedom granted, allowing Irish citizens to marry abroad.

Last year also saw a significant increase in prisoner cases, which were up by 48 per cent, and an increase of 13 per cent in the numbers of citizens presenting with issues relating to mental health and wellbeing.

The figure does not include the ongoing response to assist Irish citizens caught up in the crises in the Middle East, but Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said that work is also continuing to help Irish citizens in conflict zones.

Ms McEntee said: “My Department continues to provide assistance to Irish citizens and dependents caught in crises overseas. I know that a small number of Irish citizens and dependents remain in Gaza and my Department, through our missions in the region, continues to advocate on behalf of those that have not yet been able to leave.

“My Department has continued to strengthen our preparedness for such emergencies and has deepened our cooperation with international partners in order to ensure cohesive and comprehensive crisis response."