IRELAND
Sunday Independent
By Willie Kealy
Sunday April 22 2012
THE Government is planning to open several new embassies around the world in places as far apart as South America and Asia — but there will be no U-turn on the controversial decision to close down the Irish embassy in the Vatican.
This has been disclosed by the Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore in an interview with the Sunday Independent.
The Vatican embassy closure provoked a political reaction, particularly among Fine Gael backbenchers, and was the subject of a heated debate at the Labour Party conference last weekend.
But in the end, the delegates voted to back Mr Gilmore’s decision, which was made in his capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Defending his decision, Mr Gilmore said last week: “We had a small diplomatic service, much smaller than most countries of our size.
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