Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome and thank Ms Cross and Dr. Ivory for their presentations. What are their views on how other countries appoint their ambassadors? The standard here is that an ambassador comes through the Civil Service, while other countries opt for business leaders, retired politicians and citizens of interest and note. I would be interested to hear both viewpoints, considering that Ms Cross and Dr. Ivory come from different backgrounds and have an interest in our foreign policy.