Irish embassy to the Vatican to be closed.

Erinfan

The Government has decided to close Ireland's embassies to the Vatican and Iran as well as its representative office in Timor Leste.
In a statement this evening, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said that the decision followed a review of overseas missions carried out by the Department of Foreign Affairs, which gave "particular attention to the economic return from bilateral missions".
Mr Gilmore said that the Government was obliged to implement cuts to meet targets set out in the EU/IMF rescue programme.

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Responding to the decision, the Primate of Ireland said he wished to express his "profound disappointment" at the closure.
"This decision seems to show little regard for the important role played by the Holy See in international relations and of the historic ties between the Irish people and the Holy See over many centuries," said Cardinal Seán Brady.

----
The Vatican was among the first states with which the newly independent Irish Free State established full diplomatic relations in the 1920s.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/1103/embassies.html

Jesus Wept

k.

LH Pathe

Good. Sever ties, leave the immoral majority bereft disillusioned and clutching at rosary beads.

Bad. Essentially side with the US / UK in demonizing my extended family and for that one step forward, take two steps back

the groutch

Can they please close all the churches while they're at it?

John Doe1

Another step in the right direction.

Hasmunch

as its representative office in Timor Leste

Not Timor Leste as well

Agent Smith

Vatican can be served by the office in rome, the vatican want it so bad, let them pay for it.
Iran, can't imagine there being a big Irish community there.
Same with east Timor.

RonMexico

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pGcE7IvCTs

If you have been affected by this story and would like to chat to "one of the lads" call the number above.

RichieC

will anyone* actually care?

*that matters

alchemist33

Were the Ferrero Rocher costing too much?

Callan57

About bloody time

Dotrel

alchemist33 wrote: »

Were the Ferrero Rocher costing too much?

Is that their codename for 10 year old boys now?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

the groutch wrote: »

Can they please close all the churches while they're at it?

Yay to religious freedom :rolleyes:

MrStuffins

The Vatican isn't a bloody country anyway!

I don't care what the official word is and what papers were signed to make sure that The Pope could have as many coke parties in his gaff without worrying about falling under the laws of Italy.

It's still not a country.

NinjaK

the groutch wrote: »

Can they please close all the churches while they're at it?

including protestant, jewish and muslim churches?

Pherekydes

the groutch wrote: »

Can they please close all the churches while they're at it?

Should there be freedom to worship? Just askin'.

KeithAFC

The influence from Rome is fading away rather quickly. A bit of a disaster for the Pope. I wonder if he will bother visiting the Republic now?

DEFTLEFTHAND

the groutch wrote: »

Can they please close all the churches while they're at it?

People have a right to practice their faith.

Cill Dara Abu

NinjaK wrote: »

including protestant, jewish and muslim churches?

We can burn down those ones.

admiralofthefleet

John Doe1 wrote: »

Another step in the right direction.

yep. if they ban the catholic culy now that will be great

admiralofthefleet

KeithAFC wrote: »

The influence from Rome is fading away rather quickly. A bit of a disaster for the Pope. I wonder if he will bother visiting the Republic now?

hopefully the animal gets the message with the embassy closure

mikemac

KeithAFC, what flag is in your sig?

MrStuffins

So let me get this straight....... RTE ran a news story.......... they asked a member of the clergy for his opinion on it....... and the opinion of the clergyman was actually relevant to the conversation??

Is this a first?

SEPT 23 1989

East Timor ,Iran and the Vatican

How the mighty have fallen:D

sock puppet

MrStuffins wrote: »

The Vatican isn't a bloody country anyway!

I don't care what the official word is and what papers were signed to make sure that The Pope could have as many coke parties in his gaff without worrying about falling under the laws of Italy.

It's still not a country.

The Vatican was only a part of Italy for a tiny period in its history.

Raze_them_all

lol primate of ireland

DEFTLEFTHAND

KeithAFC wrote: »

The influence from Rome is fading away rather quickly. A bit of a disaster for the Pope. I wonder if he will bother visiting the Republic now?

I don't think he really gives a toss about Ireland tbh. Ratzinger has been a disaster as Pope, too old and set in his ways with no desire to renew the church.

MrStuffins

sock puppet wrote: »

The Vatican was only a part of Italy for a tiny period in its history.

I couldn't give a blue ball!

It's in the middle of Rome, it's 110 acres of land. It's not a real country! i don't care what forms have been signed to say that it is!

pragmatic1

KeithAFC wrote: »

The influence from Rome is fading away rather quickly. A bit of a disaster for the Pope. I wonder if he will bother visiting the Republic now?

I hope not. I'd rather if the Queen visited again.

efb

Fup off Pope!

John Doe1

In many cases, you remove the embassy from the country before you start wars with them, fingers crossed enda does the business in his speech:D

Irish Steve

Responding to the decision, the Primate of Ireland said he wished to express his "profound disappointment" at the closure.
"This decision seems to show little regard for the important role played by the Holy See in international relations and of the historic ties between the Irish people and the Holy See over many centuries," said Cardinal Seán Brady.

This decision very accurately reflects the significantly changed circumstances of the historic ties between the Irish State and the Holy See.

The failure of the Holy See to adequately recognise it's manifest failings in the areas of sexual, physical and child abuse for generations has destroyed the faith of many people. Removing diplomatic relations at this level is doing nothing more than recognising the reality of the shameful way that Ireland was treated by the Vatican when information was requested from them, and recognising that the Holy See has by it's actions and failures to act done significant damage to the relationship with Ireland.

KeithAFC

pragmatic1 wrote: »

I hope not. I'd rather if the Queen visited again.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/papal-visit-for-2012-on-cards-but-protests-expected-2568362.html

Says in that article it could happen?

sock puppet

MrStuffins wrote: »

I couldn't give a blue ball!

It's in the middle of Rome, it's 110 acres of land. It's not a real country! i don't care what forms have been signed to say that it is!

Of course it's a real country. And if it's not a country then what is it? Unclaimed territory?

edit: though I'm actually not sure if there are differences between a country and a state

galwayrush

So, that top civil servant who retired with a massive golden hand shake and massive pension definitely won't be getting that cushy job now....:pac:

partyguinness

Good. The Vatican is not even a 'real' country. It has no economy, it has no economic trade with Ireland. It doesnt even have a place at the UN.

Hell, is it even a democracy??

The embassy in Rome is more than enough plus the Irish College at the Vatican.

My name is URL

What have East Timor ever done to us?

MrStuffins

My name is URL wrote: »

What have East Timor ever done to us?

As a great man once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what the f*ck is a Timor Leste?"

efb

My name is URL wrote: »

What have East Timor ever done to us?

gave us that annoying "freedom fighter" from tallaghtmun that used visit religion classes...

Irish Steve

Hell,

Now there's an interesting thought. Hell on earth? Might be closer to the truth than a lot of people want to admit to.

is it even a democracy??

When the man at the top is infallible? I don't think so, not by a LONG way.

Without meaning to I think you've just very much hit the nail right on it's head with a sledgehammer.:D

Killer Pigeon

Why Iran? Aren't there any Irish citizens living in Iran?

carfiosaoorl

Nice one its about time. Now if only I could extradite myself from the church that would be great but I cant because apparently you cant leave the catholic church any more, once in always in SCUMBAGS. I dont want to be a part of your church so leave me out.

My name is URL

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

Why Iran? Aren't there any Irish citizens living in Iran?

For this alone, Ireland should keep its embassy in Iran open. Makes me laugh every time I think of it.

Following the death of Bobby Sands, President of Iran, Abolhassan Bani-Sadr sent a message of condolence to the mans family. The government renamed Winston Churchill Boulevard, the location of the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Tehran, to Bobby Sands Street, prompting the British embassy to move its entrance door to Ferdowsi Avenue to avoid using Bobby Sands Street on its letterhead.

charlemont

Good.

cocoshovel

My heart bleeds. Did we really need an embassy in East Timor and Iran (or was it Iraq they said?) either?

Pherekydes

My name is URL wrote: »

For this alone, Ireland should keep its embassy in Iran open. Makes me laugh every time I think of it.

I think Ireland should close it for the same reason. Britain are our closest neighbours, and not just geographically.

Killer Pigeon

My name is URL wrote: »

For this alone, Ireland should keep its embassy in Iran open. Makes me laugh every time I think of it.

Iran is a fairly big country anyway, I don't think the Irish embassy there should be closed, unless, of course, diplomatic relations are kept with Iran from an embassy in a neighbouring country.

lmaopml

Mr Gilmore said that the Government was obliged to implement cuts to meet targets set out in the EU/IMF rescue programme.
He said the closure of the three embassies would save around €1.25 million a year.

He said that while the embassy to the Holy See was one of Ireland's oldest missions, it yielded no economic return, and that Ireland's interests could be sufficiently represented by a non-resident ambassador.

While, despite current trends online, this doesn't exactly thrill me, that 'no economic return' is the guage of value, and I do 'like' economic return, and as an Irish citizen am feeling more than a little miffed by our friends indecision in Europe


...I think it's really a liberty that politicians are making, and a bad decision. Fickle, short sighted and not exactly a money saver - there are better things they could do to 'save' money.



Hey, it will lay to rest along with all the other 'non economic returns' that have had 'cuts', special needs assistants, education, health etc. etc. Historic relationships doesn't even compare really - even when the working person who is keeping the country going doesn't get consulted on such 'minor' details...and the decision makers are only interested in a hip hurrah - any hip hurrah will do...



It's non-sensical and silly, a coughed up hairball to 'saving' from a populist and very unimaginative out of ideas Politician who is desperate for notice of some sort.



...Irish people travel abroad to Italy and Vatican city, and they travel here to. What's to be gained by this? It's a mollycoddle - nothing more.

Alan b.

to be fair, having a foreign embassy is hardly as much of a nessessity now as it was in the past, considering how easy it is to traval to all corners of the world and video link confrencing etc etc.

the vatican is as much a country as sealand is.

32_4_1

this government is a cowardly joke. so when is the british embassy getting closed down?

its easy for enda and the rest of the irish conservative party to stand up to the vatican when they know everyone is behind them, internationally too. but when being faced with the british government, the cowardly british apologists (fine gael) roll over, just as fianna fail did. its like acting hard with all your mates behind you, not so tough on your own. where was endas scathing verbal attacks on the british government, just as happened on the church? no instead, he licks their arse.

i dont condone any of the abuse that went over here throughout the decades which involved the church, but the hypocrisy is a joke. look what the brits did, but the attitude is the past is the past. yet, when it comes to the church and vatican wheres all the past is the past rubbish?

Bannasidhe

John Doe1 wrote: »

In many cases, you remove the embassy from the country before you start wars with them,

We could so take Leste Timor!