Embassy spend falls 3% with saving of €1.6m

Government spending on embassies and consulate offices fell by almost 3% last year, achieving savings of €1.6m for the exchequer.

Figures published by the Department of Foreign Affairs show the overall cost of operating its 75 missions abroad fell from €57.5m in 2010 to €55.9m last year — a reduction of 2.8%.

Despite this, one in three of Ireland’s foreign missions recorded increases in expenditure last year.

The Government operates a diplomatic network that includes 56 embassies, seven multilateral missions, and 10 consulates general and other offices overseas.

The most costly mission is the permanent representation to the EU based in Brussels which cost €3.35m last year.

It replaced London as the most expensive diplomatic outpost, while the Irish embassy in Britain cost just over €3m.

The other high-cost missions are Tokyo (€2.3m), the permanent representation to the UN based in New York (€1.95m), Maputo (€1.7m), and the consulate general in New York (€1.66m).

The cheapest outpost is the consulate in Atlanta in the US which cost just under €133,000, followed by the embassy in Latvia (€184,000) and the consulate in Edinburgh (€199,000). The figures do not include the cost of Irish-based staff working in the consular service.

In reply to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD Patrick O’Donovan, Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore pointed out that many ambassadors are accredited to other countries on a non-resident basis.

The Government can expect to save over €1m this year from its decision to close a number of embassies, particularly the mission to the Holy See.

The Vatican embassy was the 49th most expensive overseas mission, costing just over €413,000 last year.

The Government also decided to close embassies in Iran and East Timor following a review.

Mr Gilmore said the review focused on identifying embassies which gave an economic return and played a role in rebuilding Ireland’s reputation abroad.

He has previously stated that any discussions with the Holy See about the possible reopening of the embassy would be best conducted in confidence.

The Government expressed regret at the time but insisted it was based on economic factors.

It said the Vatican embassy was selected for closure because it was not involved in consular services or trade promotion and that essential Church-State issues could be handled relativ-ely well by a non-resident ambassador. The position is currently held by David Cooney, secretary-general of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Mr Gilmore has estimated the embassy’s closure will save the Government about €400,000 this year and €845,000 in 2013 as a result of the transfer of the embassy and ambassador’s residence in Italy to the State-owned Villa Spada in Rome which formerly housed the Vatican mission.