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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Apr 1985

Vol. 357 No. 10

Written Answers. - St. Patrick's Day Receptions Abroad.

553.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the directive given to our ambassadors abroad in regard to receptions on St. Patrick's Day.

554.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the finance provided to our Copenhagen Embassy for entertainment.

555.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason no reception was given by our ambassador to Copenhagen on St. Patrick's Day.

I propose to reply to Questions Nos. 553, 554 and 555 together. No specific direction is given to ambassadors abroad in regard to receptions on St. Patrick's Day. It is for each ambassador, having regard particularly to local custom and entertainment priorities, to decide what form his official representation should take over the whole year.

Representation and foreign service allowances which are paid to officers posted abroad are intended to cover the additional cost arising from the posting abroad as well as the costs of official representation of which entertainment forms a part. These allowances are also intended to cater for currency fluctuations. The allowances at present payable in Copenhagen are £19,195 for an ambassador, £15,185 for a first secretary and £10,165 for a third secretary (married rate in each case).

No reception was given in Copenhagen because in the opinion of the ambassador, large national receptions are no longer the normal practice in Copenhagen and in his view the costs involved could be used to greater advantage in higher priority areas of the embassy representational programme.

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