Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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152. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the €2 million allocated to deepening Ireland's global footprint as outlined in budget 2018; the amount of the €2 million allocation that has been spent; the way in which the funds have been spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24321/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Up to €2 million was allocated in Budget 2018 to cover initial expenditure by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the Doubling of the Global Footprint Initiative. Work has begun on the initial phase of the expansion of Ireland’s Diplomatic Network which includes the Government decision to open new Embassies in Santiago, Chile; Bogotá, Colombia; Amman, Jordan; and Wellington, New Zealand; and new Consulates General in Vancouver, Canada and Mumbai, India.

A project team has been assembled to manage the expansion and extensive planning is currently underway to ensure the initiative makes the most efficient use of the Department’s Human and Financial resources.

Based on the current timelines envisaged, we expect the majority of allocated expenditure for 2018 to be incurred in the latter half of the year when the first of the new offices will open.