Despite the “problems within the Catholic Church in Ireland”, it is still “very disappointing” that the Government has chosen to close the Irish Embassy in the Vatican City.
This is the view of Independent Galway East TD Noel Grealish who has questioned the decision of closing “one of our oldest embassies” as a “cost cutting measure”.
“The Vatican was one of the first countries to recognise the Irish Free State and when the Irish Embassy in the Vatican was opened in 1929, it was one of only four in the world at that time,” said Dep Grealish. “This Embassy is of huge historical and cultural significance and the effect of its closure is wide ranging.”
As an example, Dep Grealish said the Irish Embassy in the Vatican is important to Irish missionaries.
Dep Grealish is calling on the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore to reconsider this decision and re-open the Embassy as soon as possible.
