IRELAND
Irish Independent
By Fionnan Sheahan Political Editor
Monday February 13 2012
FINE Gael TDs were angered last night by revelations that the closure of the Vatican embassy was not originally proposed in a review of spending in Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore’s Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Holy See embassy controversy has developed into a major faultline between the coalition partners, with Fine Gael backbenchers opposed to the move by the Labour Party leader.
A Labour backbencher yesterday described the decision as a “pretty trivial matter”, but a Fine Gael TD said the latest developments showed “weakness” by his party’s ministers.
The shutting down of two other embassies was proposed in a spending report last summer which concluded the number of embassies was “modest, by comparable international standards” and “reflects the interests and needs of the State”.
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