Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reasons he closed the Irish embassies to the Holy See, Iran and Timor Leste; the measures he has taken to continue representation there; if and when he informed those countries of the decision to close the embassies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33774/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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As outlined in my statement on Thursday last, it was with the greatest regret and reluctance that a decision had to be made to close Ireland's embassies to the Holy See and Iran and its representative office in Timor Leste. This decision is in line with the tough choices that the Government must make to address the current economic challenges that face the country. Our targets under the EU-IMF programme mean that cuts to public expenditure must be made across a wide range of public services, including our diplomatic service. The decision to close the three missions followed a thorough review of the overseas diplomatic network in which particular attention was paid to the promotion of Irish economic interests and the economic return from missions abroad.

The Iranian ambassador and the chargé d'affaires at the Papal Nunciature were informed of the decision shortly before it was announced on Thursday last. Our ambassador in Tehran and our chargé d'affaires to the Holy See subsequently called to the respective Foreign Ministries. Our representative in Dili conveyed the news to the Foreign Ministry there. The information was received with understandable disappointment, although there was recognition of the severe budgetary pressures Ireland faces and the difficult decisions that have to be made.

Diplomatic relations will be maintained with the three states in question. I assure the Deputy that we intend to continue our active engagement with the Holy See, Iran and Timor Leste. The Government believes that our relations can be sufficiently dealt with by representation on a non-resident basis. Arrangements are being made to accredit a senior Dublin-based diplomat as ambassador to the Holy See and to accredit an ambassador in the region as ambassador to Iran. Our ambassador to Singapore will continue to be accredited as non-resident ambassador to Timor Leste.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. When he took office, I congratulated him in the House for developing the concept - it was already in existence - of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our embassies abroad playing a critical role in the area of promoting trade. I am, therefore, concerned about this matter from a number of perspectives. In supporting and actively encouraging the Tánaiste to continue to develop the trade role, I must state that we still have a responsibility to maintain important diplomatic links that are already in place. The Tánaiste made a major decision in respect of this matter. I put it to him that this was the wrong decision. Many people throughout the country - practising Catholics and also those who have a respect for the role the church plays in world affairs - are hurt and offended by the decision relating to our embassy in the Vatican. Will the Tánaiste reconsider the position in respect of this matter? Fianna Fáil would be absolutely committed to re-establishing our embassy presence in the Vatican.

Is the Tánaiste in a position to indicate the extent to which the decision to close these embassies was discussed by the Cabinet? Was it merely rubber stamped? Did the Tánaiste engage with his Ministers of State in respect of it? I am concerned with regard to Iran and the decision to close our embassy there. Iran is extremely important both in the context of world security and with regard to the influence of the Shi'ite Muslim community. There is some €86 million in trade between our two nations and the bulk of this, over €80 million, takes the form of exports from Ireland to Iran.

Our establishment of a presence in Timor Leste was linked to our development aid role and the question of human rights. The issues which affect that country are as important now as they were in the past.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I accept everything the Deputy said with regard to the desirability of maintaining a resident embassy in each of the three states involved. However, the difficulty is that we are operating in circumstances where, in the first instance, we are obliged to reduce costs. In addition, as a result of the reduction in numbers across the public sector, the number of staff available to the Department is declining. We are, therefore, obliged to focus our operations. It is unfortunate that we cannot maintain all of our resident missions and we have been obliged to make some difficult choices. For example, and in view of the fact that we are due to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in January 2013, we had to decide whether to reduce the number of resident missions in Europe. We have only two resident missions in South America. This is despite the fact that we are involved in a high level of trade there. We also have only a small number of people operating on the ground in Asia.

The conclusion I reached in respect of this matter was that the Holy See could be effectively and adequately serviced by a senior diplomat based in Dublin. Iran can be serviced from an embassy in another jurisdiction in the Middle East region. Our ambassador in Singapore will continue to serve as non-resident ambassador to Timor Leste. I am willing to review the position in respect of these missions when we are in a position, both financially and from the point of view of personnel, to consider reopening them. That is something we can do in the future.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Tánaiste's indication that he is prepared to revisit this matter. It is important that he should do so. I again put it to him that there is a political imperative in the context of our trading relationships with foreign countries. We should consider expanding our diplomatic and trade footprints in Indonesia, South America and elsewhere. On 21 July, the Tánaiste, when replying to a question from one of his parliamentary colleagues, indicated the importance of the mission to the Holy See in the context of the enormous importance of the Vatican as a listening point and as a huge, internationally-renowned hub of diplomatic activities. I implore him to review the position in respect of this matter.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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All of our missions abroad will remain under ongoing review. I am not offering any hope or prospect that the position can be changed, either in the short term or in the foreseeable future, because there are financial and staffing considerations which militate against such a change. We have a small diplomatic team and we must concentrate our efforts. Compared to other countries, we have a small number of resident missions and we must be extremely focused in the context of how we use them. Diplomatic relations will continue with the three states to which the original question refers and which are very important. Diplomatic relations with the Vatican are particularly important and that is why we have decided to seek to have a senior diplomat from Dublin accredited as a non-resident ambassador to the Holy See. We will have an ambassador to the Holy See but he or she will be a senior diplomat based in Dublin. We can review the question of having a resident mission to the Vatican when the position relating to the financial and staffing considerations to which I refer changes.