Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have having a great impact with the diplomats we have and value for money is very important. It is not about the numbers but about the quality. We have a very high-quality diplomatic workforce. I am glad the Deputy is coming to that view.

I said that our Presidency of the EU is key to the timeline. The new missions will open in 2025 or 2026. The embassies in Belgrade, Sarajevo and Chisinau will open no later than the second half of 2025 given their importance for our EU Presidency, which will be in 2026. That is the timeline. It is just a matter of identifying the property solution and allocating personnel to head up these new postings.

Numbers are tight in some areas, but it depends on the areas. If one looks at our development aid programme in Africa, for example, we have relatively larger numbers of embassy staff to reflect the enormous allocations we now give to different countries under the development aid programme and the need to ensure that this is done properly, both appropriately and in an impactful way.

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