Mr. Denis Staunton:

I thank the Chairman and members of the committee for inviting me to be part of the discussion on the Government's foreign policy review.
I wish to say a few words outlining my perspective on the matter. As the Chairman mentioned, The Irish Timesis the only news organisation on this island to sustain a global network of foreign correspondents, including staff correspondents in a number of capitals and full-time correspondents in various other capitals and a whole network throughout the world. It is a big investment for a small newspaper in difficult economic times but we are committed to it because we believe it is essential, now more than ever, for the Irish public to be informed about and to better understand the world beyond our shores. In an increasingly networked world, events and decisions far away can have a powerful and immediate impact on citizens here, not least on their economic circumstances. This is particularly important given what we have seen over the past few years, as apparent certainties of the Cold War have given way to a new multi-polar global order. Therefore, various places that may once have seemed remote or peripheral to our interests have become central to them. The foreign policy review offers a welcome and timely opportunity to consider whether Government policy and the conduct of external relations ought to change in any way in order to take account of changed circumstances.
As a foreign correspondent in Berlin, Brussels and Washington and reporting at various stages from almost all of the countries of the European Union, parts of the Middle East and throughout North America, I have had the opportunity to observe Irish diplomacy at close quarters. Much of my brief remarks here will be devoted to the conduct of Irish diplomacy and how it might best adapt to ensure that it remains as effective as possible.
The purpose of Irish foreign policy is the same as it always has been, namely, to promote Ireland’s interests and values abroad. There can be a perceived tension between the State’s interests and its values but they should not be in conflict. Although economic diplomacy is increasingly important for Ireland as well as for other countries, it is a mistake to imagine that activities that have no apparent commercial benefit, such as promoting human rights, supporting efforts at disarmament and playing a full role in multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and the OSCE, are purely altruistic. As a small country, it is in our interest to support a rules-based global order, and respect for human rights and the rule of law are not only right in themselves but contribute to this country’s image in the world.
The most dramatic geopolitical changes in recent years have been the rise of China and the remarkable economic advance of other previously poor countries in Asia, particularly, and in Latin America. These changes have been matched by the relative decline of the United States and Europe as their share of global output has reduced. The changes create major challenges particularly for a small, poorly funded foreign service such as ours, which has traditionally been staffed by gifted generalists rather than specialists. Since the foundation of the State, Ireland has been fortunate in that the interlocutors that have been most important to us have either shared our language - as in Britain and the United States - or else in Europe have shared deep and long-standing cultural links which we have benefited from up until now. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rising powers in Asia which remain unfamiliar linguistically and culturally.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is highly unusual among foreign services in offering no incentives to learn languages – either in pay or promotion. Most other services pay annual allowances for language proficiency with harder languages, such as Chinese and Arabic, earning a bigger bonus. Some of the bonuses run to a few thousand euro a year in many of the European places. Many other services also take language proficiency and cultural knowledge into account for promotion. They do not simply base promotion on standard, conventional and managerial skills. Other services have a list of postings where ambassadors and other senior diplomats must be proficient in the local language before taking up appointment. If our diplomats are to be effective, particularly in unfamiliar cultures and in small embassies where they often operate on their own and take on multiple responsibilities, they must be equipped with the requisite language skills. This means paying for full-time language training which means a year in the case of the harder languages and rewarding those who achieve and maintain language proficiency.