Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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348. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of accredited diplomats from the Russian Federation who are based in Ireland; the number who are located at the Russian Embassy; the total number of staff who are located here who work in the Russian Embassy; the information that his Department has on the duties of each Russian diplomat located here; the changes in staffing levels at the embassy that have occurred since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49910/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 (VCDR) identifies three categories of Mission staff as follows:

- Diplomatic staff

- Administrative and Technical staff, and

- Service staff

Pursuant to Article 10, VCDR, the Department of Foreign Affairs shall be notified of the appointment of members of the mission, their arrival and their final departure or the termination of their functions with the mission.

Locally engaged staff at resident diplomatic missions in Ireland are not notified to my Department. My Department is therefore not in a position to give details of the numbers of locally engaged staff employed by resident missions in Ireland.

There are currently 26 officers at the Embassy of the Russian Federation who have been notified to my Department under Article 10 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations - 11 Diplomats and 15 Administrative and Technical staff.

Prior to the invasion of Ukraine there were a total of 30 officers at the Embassy, 14 diplomats and 16 Administrative and Technical staff.