Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 310: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to establish new embassies abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21937/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has a network of 74 resident diplomatic and consular Missions abroad, as well as the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat in Belfast and the North-South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat in Armagh. While the opening of new Embassies abroad is considered by the Government on an ongoing basis, any expansion of our diplomatic network can only be undertaken having regard to clear priorities.

The White Paper on Irish Aid, published in September 2006, designated Malawi as Ireland's ninth programme country. In February of this year, the Government approved my proposal to seek the agreement of the Government of Malawi to the opening of an Irish Embassy in Lilongwe. This agreement has now been received and our first resident Ambassador to Malawi will take up duty shortly.

The successful trade mission, led by the Taoiseach in January, to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates underlined the potential value to Ireland of having a second resident Embassy in the Gulf region. Accordingly, and in order to take advantage of this potential, the Government in March agreed to my recommendation that an Embassy be established in the United Arab Emirates. The timing of the establishment of this new embassy in Abu Dhabi will be considered at an early date.

Apart from Malawi and the United Arab Emirates, there are no plans at present to establish any other new Embassies.