Written answers

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Diplomatic Representation

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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160. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department is reviewing the number of Irish embassies across the eurozone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3533/14]

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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At present, Ireland’s diplomatic network includes 56 Embassies, 7 multilateral missions and 10 Consulates General and other offices. This includes Embassies in all Eurozone and other EU Member States, with the exception of Croatia. Following the recent Government Decision to expand the diplomatic network abroad, it is our intention that the new Embassy to Croatia will be fully operational in 2014 or as soon as practicable thereafter.

My Department has recently undertaken a Value-for-Money and Policy Review of our Bilateral Diplomatic Missions in the European Union Member States. The final report has been submitted to me and presented to Government, and is now available on my Department's website. The Review was directed by a Steering Committee comprised of an independent Chairperson and representatives from four Government Departments.

This Value for Money and Policy Review was undertaken in the context of the Government’s wider Value-for-Money and Policy Review (VFM) initiative. As outlined in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s Public Spending Code , the VFM initiative aims to secure improved value for money from public expenditure by analysing exchequer spending in a systematic manner.

This Review concluded that Ireland's EU bilateral missions with their networking capacities have been, and will continue to be, a very relevant resource for a whole-of-Government approach to how Ireland maintains relations with its EU partners and to how Ireland can present a cohesive image of its values and foreign policy in the EU member states, both to Governments and to civil society.

The Deputy will be aware of the recent Government Decision to expand the diplomatic network abroad. This will include five new Embassies, including one in Croatia, and three new Consulates, which will be established in locations across South East Asia, Africa and the Americas.

This expansion of the network is specifically designed to support Ireland's foreign trade and inward investment, and takes account of the soon-to-be published Review of the Government's Trade, Tourism and Investment Strategy, as well as the Value-for-Money and Policy Review referred to above.

The expansion is also very much in accord with the recent report published by the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade on the Contribution of the Department of Foreign affairs and Trade to Economic recovery.

The scale and presence of our diplomatic network is considered by the Government on an ongoing basis. Any decision to adjust the state’s external representation will have regard to national priorities and available resources.

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