Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I have two points. I welcome the last sentence of the Minister of State's response. This issue was brought to the attention of the Tánaiste's predecessor, Deputy Micheál Martin, when he was Minister for Foreign Affairs and he rejected the concept of closure. The overall budget for the Department is €150 million. The saving was quite small, therefore. If the Department considers financial and staffing resources, it should be possible for it to do as I propose if there is a relaxation of the Vatican's current requirements.

I urge the Minister of State to encourage the Tánaiste to initiate discussions with the Holy See with a view to resolving this matter. There are many doors in the Villa Spada and, therefore, my proposal could work. I am aware the Holy See would seek a separate address from that of the Italian embassy but that could obviously be done quite easily by using a separate entrance, subdividing the building and retaining the small staff that was in place. I urge the Minister of State to determine whether this issue can be resolved. It will not go away. It has caused angst among many people and the campaign will only grow.