Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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411. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if any Irish Ambassador abroad requested permission to employ additional staff within their Embassy in 2013; the location of the Embassy; the number of requests for permission to appoint additional were approved, pending or refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45141/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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In any given year, Heads of Mission may seek sanction for engaging additional members of local staff at their missions for a variety of reasons. They may be seeking to fill a post on a permanent basis or on short term temporary contracts, including temporary cover for a staff who may be ill or to manage specific projects or to meet unforeseen demands.

Our HR unit deal with these requests on a case by case basis and, within the budgetary constraints and the Employment Control Framework numbers imposed on the Department, work to ensure our Missions have the appropriate staff resources to meet their objectives.

In the time available, it is not possible to indicate how many such requests were sought and acceded to or refused for the period in question.