Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
514. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the estimated amount spent by his Department on the procurement, purchase and rent of new office space; and the amount spent on the procurement, purchase and rent of office equipment in each of the past ten years and to date in 2021. [51104/21]
View answerGlobal Ireland 2018-2025 is the Government’s strategy to double Ireland’s global footprint and influence. In delivering those goals, my Department has so far increased Ireland’s footprint internationally by opening thirteen new diplomatic missions in the following locations: Wellington, Bogotá, Amman, Monrovia, Santiago de Chile, Kiev, Rabat, Cardiff, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Manchester, Mumbai and Vancouver.
As a result of this expansion Ireland now has a network of 95 offices internationally, of which twelve occupy premises that are State-owned and 83 that are leased. Only one office space was purchased, for €3,683,421 in Washington in 2018. Details of the rental costs of Irish diplomatic and consular office premises in the ten years 2011 to 2020 and in 2021 to date are set out in the following table.
Plans are underway to open a further six new missions over the next two years in Manila, Toronto, Lyon, Miami, Dakar and Tehran.
The Department's office accommodation in the State is provided by the Office of Public Works.
|
Year |
Rental Expenditure on Official Offices € |
|
2011 |
11,092,522 |
|
2012 |
11,254,447 |
|
2013 |
10,364,957 |
|
2014 |
11,015,498 |
|
2015 |
11,373,460 |
|
2016 |
12,353,209 |
|
2017 |
12,466,186 |
|
2018 |
12,740,014 |
|
2019 |
14,302,593 |
|
2020 |
14,276,268 |
|
2021 to date |
11,528,117 |
|
Total |
132,767,271 |
A total of approximately €39.5m was expended by the Department on office and ICT equipment in the period January 2011 to September 2021, as set out in the following table.
|
Year |
Total |
|
2011 |
€ 2,660,267.45 |
|
2012 |
€ 2,887,648.58 |
|
2013 |
€ 4,226,526.47 |
|
2014 |
€ 4,716,516.37 |
|
2015 |
€ 3,424,276.39 |
|
2016 |
€ 3,679,927.70 |
|
2017 |
€ 3,269,818.51 |
|
2018 |
€ 4,584,630.28 |
|
2019 |
€ 5,155,699.98 |
|
2020 |
€ 3,115,088.96 |
|
2021 (to Sept 30th) |
€ 1,713,931.35 |
|
Total: |
€39,434,332.04 |
