Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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178. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount his Department paid towards cost of living allowance and local post allowance to his Departmental officials posted at the Irish Embassy in Washington DC and to each consulate general office based within the US in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [38820/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Civil servants posted to our missions abroad are paid the standard salary for their grade as determined by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and are paid in accordance with the normal Irish taxation and social security obligations that apply to civil servants.

In common with other diplomatic services, this Department further supports officers who are assigned abroad to serve the State in an official capacity through a system of Foreign Service Allowances (FSA). This is to assist in defraying the additional costs officers and their families incur in moving and living abroad. These allowances are based on independently sourced data and are reviewed annually. Foreign service allowances are paid to officers for the duration of their posting to a diplomatic mission, and are payable based on their grade, civil status, family circumstances and the location.

In 2024, expenditure on Cost of Living Allowance and Local Post Allowance in respect of officers in Embassy Washington D.C. and Consulates General Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, LA, Miami, New York and San Francisco was €1,497,531, and expenditure to date in respect of officers in those missions in 2025 is €838,075. In line with data protection obligations, I have not provided a breakdown of this information by mission as this could lead to the identification of personal information of individuals.