Vol. 576 No. 5
232 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the cost to the State of staging an event to launch a musical CD by a group (details supplied) at the Irish embassy in London; and, if there was no cost to the State in staging the event, the fees which were charged at the Embassy for hosting the event. [29914/03]
The embassy supports a wide range of events in the promotion of Ireland's commercial and cultural interests. Those include book and CD launches, exhibitions, readings, debates and conferences. Costs for those events are frequently borne by the relevant organisations themselves. In this instance, all costs were borne by the group and none were incurred by the State. The same practice was followed earlier this year when another CD by an Irish artist was launched at the embassy. Fees are not charged by the embassy when it is hosting events promoting Ireland's commercial and cultural interests, and none were charged for this event.
233 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Irish embassies abroad can be hired for commercial functions; and, if so, the daily cost. [29915/03]
A key role of Ireland's embassies and consulates abroad is to promote Ireland's trade, investment and other interests, including its culture, in close co-operation with other Departments, State agencies and the private sector, ensuring that the State's network of diplomatic and consular missions adds real value to the task. In that regard, they perform a range of representational and promotional functions, including exhibitions, readings, book launches, debates and conferences.
While no fee is charged by an embassy when it is hosting events promoting Ireland's commercial and cultural interests, in many cases the cost of the event is borne by the organisers themselves.
