Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he proposes to reduce the network of overseas embassies and consulates. [31680/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland has a network of 75 resident diplomatic and consular Missions abroad, as well as the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Secretariat in Belfast and the North-South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat in Armagh.

The Irish diplomatic network provides essential consular services, diplomatic representation and commercial services overseas. A number of missions also play a key role in the delivery of Ireland's development aid programme. Our network is modest in scale when compared to other equivalent European States; three quarters of our missions consist of only two or three diplomatic officers.

In light of the current challenges in the public finances, the Government is examining all areas of expenditure to identify where savings can be made, while minimising the impact on front-line services provided to the public. The decision to close the Consulate General in Cardiff was recently taken in the context of current budgetary constraints and to enable a redeployment of limited resources to maximise potential returns to the State. No further decisions on the closure of specific Embassies have been made to date.

The opening and closing of missions abroad is considered by the Government on an ongoing basis, these decisions can, as I am sure the Deputy will appreciate, only be undertaken having regard to clear national priorities and available resources. For example, any decision to open a new Mission overseas must be on the basis of an anticipated significant return for the State. The United Arab Emirates has been identified as a country where increased diplomatic representation would offer significant potential economic value to Ireland. Accordingly, and in order to take advantage of this potential, the Government decided to establish an Embassy in Abu Dhabi, which will open this Autumn.

The report from the Special Group on Public Sector Numbers and Expenditure Programmes made some recommendations relating to my Department, including the reduction in the size of our diplomatic network. However, it did not specify particular missions for possible closure but rather gave a proposed saving of €14 million which the Special Group believe could be achieved through the closure of 20 missions. These recommendations, along with all the recommendations set out by the Special Group, will be considered by Government as part of the Estimates process.

On the other hand, a consistent theme from invitees to the Global Economic Forum which took place at Farmleigh, last weekend, was the need for Ireland to expand, rather than contract its network of Embassies and Consulates. Full account will need to be taken, therefore, of both the operational and reputational costs and the potential financial savings of Embassy closures. I can assure the Deputy that my objective, to the greatest extent possible and within the limits of available resources, is to maintain the capability of Ireland's diplomatic network overseas in order to promote our key objectives abroad, particularly support for our economic recovery.