Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I would welcome the committee's input to the review, which is the entire purpose of my making a presentation to it. I invite the committee and individual members to make their views known on the matter. A number of reviews are taking place and the one to which my presentation relates is an overall review of our foreign policy and external relations. It is part of a wider review that is taking place. As already stated, we are also reviewing our trade strategy and, as announced in October, our engagement with the diaspora. The review is also taking place in the context of the European External Action Service and a number of other developments. As I have informed the committee on previous occasions, we have a very small diplomatic footprint throughout the world encompassing 58 bilateral missions. When our EU Presidency concluded, I indicated that we would examine the position with regard to our mission network. Issues in respect of existing missions and the possibility of opening or reopening other missions will be addressed in that context. The reconsideration of our mission network and the review of our foreign policy, our trade strategy and our engagement with the diaspora are interlinked.