Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste and his team for coming in. I have a few quick questions. Deliberations were taking place over the last few months in relation to the proposed Irish embassy in Tehran. When will we get a final decision on that? I think most members of the committee here would share my concern that this is not the appropriate time to be opening an embassy, considering what is happening in Iran at the moment. The second question doubles down on what Deputy Clarke said in relation to the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. Ireland sent money. Money is fine and it helps, but it does not pull people out from the rubble. Ireland was almost unique in being one of only three EU countries not to send search and rescue teams or medical teams. Even Ukraine sent a team and they have priorities of their own at the moment. The tiny state of Malta, with a population of 500,000, sent 30 people onto the ground there. Latvia is the only country, like Ireland, not to send anybody. Cyprus offered to send a team but the offer was declined because of tensions with Türkiye. We are a major outlier and I think we should set up some kind of international response search and rescue component with a HSE medical team that can be deployed for a week or two and come back. We do have the Rapid Response Corps within the Department of Foreign Affairs. Even that has not been deployed.