Question:
6 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way in which the Ireland House concept is progressing; and if he will extend the approach to more Embassies. [16484/98]
Other Questions. - Ireland House Concept.
The Ireland House concept has been most useful in promoting the consolidation of representative offices abroad, in order to ensure the most effective promotion of Ireland's interests.
As I told the Dáil in reply to a question on 19 February, there is now consolidated representation involving diplomatic or consular missions and one or more State promotional agencies in New York, Tokyo, Moscow, Riyadh, Beijing, Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, Helsinki, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur. The latest Ireland House is in Madrid, incorporating the Embassy, An Bord Tráchtála, Bord Fáilte, BIM and Bord Bia. I was happy to perform the official opening ceremony there last October.
The possibility of extending the concept to other locations and to new forms of co-operation is kept under review in liaison with the State agencies through the Foreign Earnings Committee, which is chaired by the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Kitt. Any such arrangements must of course be shown to be both useful and cost effective.
Does the Minister agree that given the developments in telecommunications with the availability of fax, e-mail, mobile phones and computers, the traditional role of an ambassador as an intelligence gatherer and representative of the State has changed? It is important as we approach the 21st century that our diplomatic service abroad keeps pace with the changes and that the role of ambassadors evolves.
Will the Minister consider a change in the designation of ambassadors to enable them to become, so to speak, the chief executive officers of Ireland House? This will take account of the traditional diplomatic role of an ambassador but will also ensure he or she represents the totality of Irish interests abroad and looks out for opportunities for Ireland. Does the Minister see any benefits in this suggestion? The ambassador would be chief executive officer of the Irish mission abroad and would not just be a representative of the Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs but would take a broader, more proactive interest in international issues which could benefit Ireland.
From the Deputy's experience, I am sure he will agree that ambassadors and diplomats are doing a huge service to the country by involving themselves in the trade and economic area. Today I upgraded the status of our consulates in the United States of America to give them, as the Deputy seeks, an economic bias. I hope arising from that initiative that what we seek to achieve will happen. Deputies travelling abroad have found diplomats to be concerned for, and involved in, the economic life of the country.
The designation of ambassadors as chief executive officers is a matter for another day. In the meantime, if they carry out the functions of a chief executive officer, there is no need to change their title from that of ambassador to the title suggested by the Deputy.
On the question of information technology, all the promotional agencies and the Department of Foreign Affairs are on the network. The main agencies have developed excellent websites. Those of Bord Fáilte, Bord Tráchtála and IDA Ireland have been particularly highly commended. An Ireland House website has been established in Seoul, South Korea. The Foreign Earnings Committee is currently reviewing the use of information technology and the Internet with a view to ensuring that co-ordinated and effective use is made of new technology in our overseas promotional efforts.
When I opened the Ireland House in Madrid, I saw the combination of all the facets of Irish economic life under one roof. This is spreading to most of our Embassies and diplomatic outlets. In fairness to our offices abroad, they act in an appropriate and patriotic manner on behalf of their country. I am sure the rest of the House will join with me in paying tribute to their hard work.
I did not suggest that the designation would change from ambassador to chief executive officer but that he or she would be de facto chief executive officer of the mission abroad. Anyone who has served in the Department of Foreign Affairs cannot but be impressed at the level of commitment and the calibre of diplomatic staff. However, in every organisation there will always be those who do not measure up to the same level of commitment or success as their peers. Does the Minister have systems in place to measure the success of diplomats serving abroad in promoting Irish interests? If so, are regular reviews carried out to ensure that the activities of our diplomats meet the objectives set by the Minister?
There is an investigation branch in the Department which goes abroad to quantify the contribution of Embassies. This is a welcome development and I will look at how it should continue to be done. It is a helpful principle and supports the point raised by the Deputy.