Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 133: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details on the lease held on the former residence of the Irish ambassador to Italy; the length of the lease held; the annual rent of the premises; the capital expenditure incurred over the past ten years on these premises; if this lease has been terminated and at what cost; if there is a clause in the lease requiring return to former condition on termination; if so, has this cost been provided for, if the lease has not been terminated; if he is still paying rent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11336/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The lease on the former residence of the Ambassador to Italy expired on 14 December 2011. By agreement with the landlord the Ambassador continued to reside there for a further two months on an ad- hoc basis until relocation to the Villa Spada in February 2012. The most recent lease on the premises ran from 15 December 2003 to 14 December 2011. The annual rent paid in 2011 was €210,288. The only costs incurred in the past ten years were in respect of normal household maintenance. No penalty payments arose in relation to termination of the lease. While the lease contained a standard clause providing for return of the premises to former condition, no claim in respect of this was made by the landlord.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 134: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will detail the staffing implication, if any, arising out of his decision to close the embassy to the Holy See; if staff were made redundant; if other staff were transferred to other duties; if there were any attendant costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11337/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Embassy to the Holy See was staffed by two diplomatic officer and four locally recruited staff. Of the diplomatic officers, one retired in June 2011 and was not replaced, and the other was reassigned to a post at HQ in January 2012 when the Embassy closed. One of the locally recruited staff was employed on a part time temporary contract which expired at the end of December 2011 and one member of cleaning staff whose services were no longer required was made redundant. The other two full time staff were offered alternative positions under new contracts at the Embassy to Italy to fill vacancies arising naturally there, and of these, one has chosen not to avail of this offer.

Severance payments to all recruited staff at the Embassy to the Holy See are calculated in accordance with Italian law and are expected to be finalised in the very near future.