Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

I am making a request under the Freedom of Information Act for access to records held by the Department of Foreign Affairs for the period 1 January 2016 to present. I request the following records: 1. Policy and Guidance • Internal policies, instructions, or guidance documents provided to DFA staff (HQ or embassies) on handling cases where Irish citizens face discrimination, denial of EU free movement rights, or barriers to work/residence in EU Member States. • Records outlining when such cases should be escalated to SOLVIT, the European Commission, or host authorities. • Guidance, if any, on referring citizens to local lawyers instead of direct DFA intervention. 2. Records of Case Handling • Records of complaints/representations by Irish citizens to DFA since 2016 concerning denial of EU free movement, access to work, residence rights, or nationality-based discrimination in EU Member States. • DFA responses and internal notes/classifications of such cases (e.g. whether deemed “private matters”). 3. SOLVIT Interaction • All DFA communications with SOLVIT Ireland concerning case reference 4585/25/IE. • Any reports/statistics on DFA referrals to SOLVIT since 2016, including case outcomes and follow-up actions.