Ms Marie Cross:

It is a trading office. The IDA had an office there for quite some time. That is okay as long as it is nothing that gives official recognition to it as a state. The reality of international commerce is reflected in the agreements and the business.

Deputy Dooley inquired about how other countries appoint ambassadors. A number of the bigger countries, in particular the United States, appoint almost all their senior representatives abroad on a political basis. Big member states in the EU, including the British and the French, do not do that. Some countries appoint people who are skilled in trade. We have never had a tradition of that. Our Civil Service is strictly a civil service. I should not say never because in the early years of the State we did have political appointments but in recent decades there have not been political appointments. In looking at the arguments, part of the reason for it is practical. Most of our missions are composed of one or two people. Up to 50% of the Irish embassies abroad have two people or only one person and a larger proportion now have one person. One must take account of the practical aspects of running an office. Everyone has to work to the pin of their collar, in particular doing a whole range of things such as consular work, administration, political work and economic work. The bigger countries could afford to have a figurehead who is politically well connected but other staff are required to do the work.