The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFA) opened its flagship Consular Forum in Dublin on 11 December, bringing together more than 150 stakeholders from EU member states, the U.S. State Department, airlines, NGOs and the travel industry. Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora Neale Richmond told delegates that DFA missions have already handled 1,900 complex assistance cases in 2025—a record driven by conflicts in the Middle East and a spike in mental-health incidents among Irish travellers.
This year’s theme—“Crisis Planning and Response, Collaboration, and Consular Assistance”—reflects lessons learned from evacuations in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, where Irish diplomats coordinated the safe passage of more than 250 individuals. The forum examined how digital tools such as the TravelWise app, real-time WhatsApp alerts and cross-border data-sharing can speed decision-making during fast-moving emergencies. Professor Maeve Eogan from the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit also highlighted the rising incidence of sexual violence against travellers and outlined trauma-informed support protocols.
Amid the drive toward smarter, integrated travel risk management, many organisations are looking for external partners who can streamline their document-handling obligations. VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers rapid visa and passport processing, live status tracking and destination-specific compliance alerts—tools that complement DFA guidance and help companies keep travellers informed and protected before, during and after a crisis.
![Ireland hosts 2025 Consular Forum to bolster crisis support for citizens overseas]()
For global-mobility managers, the key takeaway is that Dublin expects companies to play a larger role in crisis preparedness. DFA officials encouraged multinationals to map employee travel in real time, maintain up-to-date contact lists and integrate their tracking platforms with the department’s consular crisis centre. Failure to do so could delay assistance during natural disasters or geopolitical shocks.
The forum also launched the inaugural TravelWise Spotlight award, recognising the Irish Red Cross for its role in recent medical evacuations. DFA hinted that future recognition may include companies demonstrating exemplary duty-of-care standards. Attendees were briefed on planned upgrades to passport and emergency-travel-document issuance, designed to cut turnaround times for citizens stranded abroad.
Irish businesses with expatriate populations or frequent travellers should review their crisis-management frameworks against the DFA’s best-practice checklist and ensure employees register significant trips on the TravelWise platform. Doing so may expedite support and reduce corporate liability in the event of an incident.
This year’s theme—“Crisis Planning and Response, Collaboration, and Consular Assistance”—reflects lessons learned from evacuations in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, where Irish diplomats coordinated the safe passage of more than 250 individuals. The forum examined how digital tools such as the TravelWise app, real-time WhatsApp alerts and cross-border data-sharing can speed decision-making during fast-moving emergencies. Professor Maeve Eogan from the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit also highlighted the rising incidence of sexual violence against travellers and outlined trauma-informed support protocols.
Amid the drive toward smarter, integrated travel risk management, many organisations are looking for external partners who can streamline their document-handling obligations. VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers rapid visa and passport processing, live status tracking and destination-specific compliance alerts—tools that complement DFA guidance and help companies keep travellers informed and protected before, during and after a crisis.
For global-mobility managers, the key takeaway is that Dublin expects companies to play a larger role in crisis preparedness. DFA officials encouraged multinationals to map employee travel in real time, maintain up-to-date contact lists and integrate their tracking platforms with the department’s consular crisis centre. Failure to do so could delay assistance during natural disasters or geopolitical shocks.
The forum also launched the inaugural TravelWise Spotlight award, recognising the Irish Red Cross for its role in recent medical evacuations. DFA hinted that future recognition may include companies demonstrating exemplary duty-of-care standards. Attendees were briefed on planned upgrades to passport and emergency-travel-document issuance, designed to cut turnaround times for citizens stranded abroad.
Irish businesses with expatriate populations or frequent travellers should review their crisis-management frameworks against the DFA’s best-practice checklist and ensure employees register significant trips on the TravelWise platform. Doing so may expedite support and reduce corporate liability in the event of an incident.
