Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to ask Mr. Whelan a question about what he said about the embassies. We went to America to see how our consulates were working. Obviously, we looked at the latest consul general's office in Atlanta. It is a one-man operation, although there is also a local staff member. It is working extremely well. We also went to Texas, one of the fastest developing states in the United States, with 48% of all new jobs in the United States being created there last year.

To have a presence in either Houston, Austin or Dallas would be important for Ireland. There are 85 consul general offices in Houston at present. Do we lose out much by not having a presence in booming and growing areas?