Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 April 2014
21. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total staff complement in the embassy to the Holy See; the projected cost of the embassy this year; the number of embassies and their names with a similar staff complement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15171/14]
View answerWhen the Embassy to the Holy See is re-opened later this year, it is intended that it will be staffed by one diplomatic officer. I regret that it is not possible to give a definitive figure for the projected establishment and other costs for the Vatican Embassy in 2014 because this will depend on a number of factors which have yet to be determined in consultation with the host authorities. However, it is anticipated that the annual costs for the re-opened embassy will be significantly reduced compared with the annual cost of running the embassy in previous years. This is due to the relocation of our Embassy to the Italian Republic to the accommodation formerly occupied by the Embassy to the Holy See, which will deliver ongoing savings in the combined overall cost of Ireland’s representation to the Holy See and the Italian Republic.
There are currently nine missions with one diplomatic officer assigned – Atlanta, Bratislava, Edinburgh, Luxembourg, Nicosia, Riga, Tallinn, Valletta and Vilnius. The expansion of the Irish diplomatic network abroad this year will include, in addition to the Holy See, a further two missions which will be staffed by one diplomatic officer – Austin and Zagreb.
