Ray Burke
Ceist:34 Mr. R. Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the restructuring of personnel within his Department; and the appointments, if any, to our embassies. [6843/95]
Written Answers. - Departmental Restructuring.
Following a review of the resource requirements of the Department of Foreign Affairs, in the context of the greatly expanded work-load of the Department, the new challenges and opportunities facing us in the foreign policy area, and the demands of the Irish Presidency of the European Union in 1996, a stengthening of the Department in a limited number of key areas has been decided.
As announced by the Government on 11 January 1995, the resources allocated to the priority area of Anglo-Irish relations have been strengthened by the creation of a new post of Second Secretary to head up the Anglo-Irish Division in the Department. A new section is also being created within the Division to ensure an effective economic follow-up to the peace process.
Other key needs arise within the Economic Division of the Department where an additional section will be established to address the consequences for Ireland of the longer term development and enlargement of the European Union; and within the Political Division where a new section will be established to address the important and sensitive issues arising in the area of security and disarmament policy.
In addition, as I outlined in my reply to Deputy Kathleen Lynch on 24 January 1995, a dedicated Human Rights Unit is being established within the Department to reflect the priority the Government attaches to this area and to deal with the significant expansion in the range of human rights-related activity in recent years.
Finally, in the light of the very significant increases in the scale of the development aid programme, additional staff resources are being allocated to the Development Co-operation Division to ensure the effective and efficient administration of the programme and to enable the Government's commitments relating to development co-operation be met.
The Deputy will already be aware that the Government recently announced the appointment of Mr. Pádraic McKernan as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs in succesion to Mr. Noel Dorr who has decided to retire from 30 June 1995. The Government has also decided on a number of transfers within the Department at Ambassador and Assistant Secretary level, including appointments to our three new Embassies in Budapest, Prague and Kuala Lumpur. Full details of the ambassadorial appointments will be formally announced when the agreement of the host countries to the nominations has been obtained.