asked the Minister for Finance the total amount spent on Irish embassies and other diplomatic offices abroad in the last five years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Expenditure on Diplomatic Offices.
21.
The total expenditure on rent, purchase, maintenance, furnishing, heating, lighting, etc. of offices abroad in the five years ended 31st March, 1969 was £1,135,757.
Will the Minister say if he has received complaints from embassy staffs that they are experiencing difficulty in getting authority to purchase necessities for kitchens, for instance, for household use in the embassies?
I am not aware of any such complaints but in all these matters we try to keep expenditure down as much as we can.
Will the Minister not agree that if we have embassies it is not good enough that the authority for purchasing a necessity should be delayed if the ambassador requisitions it?
Is this a cooker?
Yes.
Where is this?
In India.
(Interruptions.)
Will the Minister look into that?