John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 3: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will confirm the number of staff members employed at the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union in Brussels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39189/11]

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 4: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if additional staff will be allocated to the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union office, Brussels, for the 2013 Presidency ; if so, the number of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39190/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.

The Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union is Ireland's largest overseas mission, with a staff complement totalling 89 drawn from almost every Government Department in the State as well as from the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and the Defence Forces. Of that total, 58 staff are at or above Third Secretary or Higher Executive Officer equivalent level, of which 19 are staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and 39 are from other Government Departments or agencies. The remaining 31 staff, some of whom are locally recruited, are in support grades.

Ireland's Presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2013 will provide an important opportunity to further strengthen our engagement with the EU agenda and to rebuild Ireland's reputation in Europe and internationally. The Permanent Representation will be to the forefront of our Presidency effort and will play a key role in the effective co-ordination and delivery of Presidency business. This will require substantial temporary additional staffing resources from mid-2012 until mid-2013. While the details have not been finalised, the number of temporary additional staff across all sectors has been provisionally estimated at 60, as many as possible of whom will be locally recruited in order to minimise costs.