Mr. David Cooney:

No, I will come to the Holy See last. That is a separate case. Croatia will have a small one-diplomat mission. We are at the cutting edge of trying to develop new forms of diplomatic representation at a low cost. Our one-person missions have attracted quite a lot of interest from other EU member states who are interested in seeing how we can operate them. The report on the EU missions pointed out that another one-person mission is not all good news. There are stresses and pressures on a one-person mission and expectations that are difficult to achieve. We are looking at the one-person missions network to ensure we can maintain it at an effective level and provide the necessary support. It is a good idea that is working but, understandably, these missions need a bit more support from home than if they were larger missions.

I know why the embassy to the Holy See was closed. It was genuinely closed for cost reasons but it is interesting that nobody in the world believes me so I am very happy to go on the record to explain why it was closed and re-opened. It is very interesting. People are very reluctant to believe something if it does not conform with their beliefs or prejudices or the need for a good story. It was closed for cost-cutting reasons in 2011. We carried out an analysis of how we could find savings. Every Government Department was required to find savings at the time. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade only has two ways of making savings. We either cut the aid budget or we close embassies. I believe very firmly that had we offered significant cuts in the aid budget at that time, it would have been an ongoing process of significant cuts. The Tánaiste was very keen to protect the aid programme. I think he had considerable support for that so, therefore, we had to look at closing embassies. There were those who suggested that we should close embassies in EU countries. Again, I believe that had we closed embassies in EU countries, I do not know how many we would have lost by now. We needed to protect that network which left very few alternatives. The embassy to the Holy See was closed because it was genuinely believed, and I believe this is right, that the relationship could be most effectively handled on a non-residential and care and maintenance basis. I hoped that it could be re-opened in due course when the situation improved and that has been the case.

We have reopened it. I think there is a considerable attachment to the relationship with the Holy See among a considerable portion of the population; that was made clear. Also the direction and the leadership of Pope Francis in relation to issues of hunger and poverty very much chime with our own policy. The Tánaiste recommended to the Government that we reopen the Embassy to the Holy See. Again it will be on a very modest basis. It will be a one-diplomat mission.

We have saved, in the meantime, a considerable amount of money. The Villa Spada, which was one of our biggest embassies and which was the location for the residence and the chancery to the Holy See, is now the residence and the chancery for the Embassy to the Italian Republic, to Italy. It contains a much larger number of staff members. It is used far more intensively. It is now used very thoroughly. Ironically, of course, the Villa Spada is where Garibaldi made his last stand against the French at the time of the Roman Republic. It is an iconic building from the point of view of the Italian Republic and perhaps more appropriately hosts that embassy.