The effective functioning of a Foreign Ministry requires continuous access to the most up to date international and national news. This is more important than ever in the context of Brexit, on which my Department leads. My officials need timely, accurate information from multiple sources in order to navigate effectively in the highly dynamic and complex environment surrounding Brexit and other issues of vital national interest.
In 2018, the Department’s Library and Information Service spent €195,287 on subscriptions to print and digital newspapers for headquarters and missions abroad.