Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Irish embassies open; the extent to which he proposes to increase this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23946/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has a network of 75 resident diplomatic and consular Missions abroad (57 Embassies, 6 multilateral missions and 12 Consulates General and other offices), as well as the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat in Belfast and the North-South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat in Armagh.

The White Paper on Irish Aid, published in September 2006, designated Malawi as Ireland's ninth programme country. Based on this recommendation, the Government decided to establish an Embassy in Lilongwe and Ireland's first resident Ambassador to Malawi took up duty in October of last year.

The successful trade mission, led by the then Taoiseach in January 2007, 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 2007 agreed that an Embassy be established in the United Arab Emirates. However, the timing of the establishment of such a resident Embassy must take account of the wider budgetary context, in particular the availability of the necessary resources.

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