SIX PARENTAL CHILD abductions, 405 deaths of Irish people abroad and 241 arrests of Irish citizens are just some of the incidents dealt with by Irish diplomats this year as requests for consular assistance continue to rise.  

The figures are released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and show that officials in embassies and in the Dublin head office dealt with 1,858 cases – a nine percent rise on last year.

The support includes incidents involving missing persons, serious injuries, arrests, victims of crime, mental health issues, and deaths abroad.

The figures do not include the ongoing response to assist Irish citizens caught up in a series of major crises in the Middle East. 

The category ‘missing persons’ has seen the largest increase in comparison with the same period last year, up 32%.

This is followed by ‘arrests’ and ‘welfare’ cases which are both up 26%. Collectively, ‘welfare’ and ‘mental health’ incidents account for 17% of the total number of new cases reported to the Department in 2024.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, said that the responses by the DFA  were often complex especially in the cases of “parental child abductions”. 

“These cases are particularly challenging for citizens and their families,” he said. 

The Tánaiste said that part of the work also includes authenticating more than 56,000 Irish documents for business or personal use overseas, and more than 2,900 civil letters of freedom issued to Irish citizens marrying abroad in 2024.

Martin also recognised the work of a number of non-governmental organisations which work closely with DFA. These include the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas, Crosscare, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, and Safe Home Ireland.

“[They] continue to provide invaluable work in supporting citizens and their families who experience difficult and, in some cases, tragic situations overseas,” he added. 

The Tánaiste also spoke about the response to several “complex global crises”. He spoke about the ongoing and escalating tensions in the Middle East, the Department undertook evacuations from Gaza and assisted Irish citizens to leave Lebanon.

Martin said that there was a successful evacuation of 59 Irish citizens and dependants from Gaza in late 2023 and this was followed in 2024 by a further 49 people who left the Palestinian enclave and came to Ireland. This brings the total number of people assisted to leave Gaza to 106.

“A small number of Irish citizens and dependants remain in Gaza and my Department, through our missions in the region, continues to advocate on behalf of those individuals that have not yet been able to leave.

“28 Irish citizens and dependants were directly assisted by my Department to depart Lebanon aboard flights organised by international partners. All citizens that requested assistance to depart were supported to do so.

“I strongly advise citizens to check the security status of their destination and understand the limitations of assistance in regions with travel warnings or no diplomatic presence,” he added.