Predominantly Catholic Ireland has traditionally had close relations with the Vatican |
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The Irish
Republic has decided to close its embassies to the Vatican and two other
nations on cost-saving grounds.
It said the
closure of the missions in Vatican City and also in Iran and East Timor would
save about 1.25m euros (£1.1m; $1.7m) a year.
But Dublin
stressed that the move was not related to a clerical child abuse row between
Ireland and the Holy See.
In July, a
report accused the Vatican of aiding child-abuse cover-ups in Cork - a claim
denied by the Holy See.
The Vatican
later recalled its special envoy in Dublin to discuss the impact of the damning
Cloyne Report.
'Profound
disappointment'
"It is
with the greatest regret and reluctance that the government has decided to
close Ireland's (embassy) to the Holy See," said a statement from the Irish
foreign ministry on Thursday.
It added
that Dublin "believes that Ireland's interests with the Holy See can be
sufficiently represented by a non-resident ambassador".
Irish
Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said diplomats at Ireland's Italian embassy would
move into the villa currently used by its Vatican staff.
Mr Gilmore
pointed out that the government had to implement cuts to meet targets set out
in Ireland's economic rescue deal backed by the European Union and the
International Monetary Fund.
Ireland -
like many other nations - has maintained two diplomatic posts in Rome: one for
the Holy See, the other for Italy.
Predominantly
Catholic Ireland has traditionally had close relations with the Vatican, where
the embassy was opened in 1929.
Responding
to the closure announcement, Cardinal Sean Brady, the ecclesiastical head of
the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, expressed his "profound
disappointment".
"I
hope that today's decision will be revisited as soon as possible," he said
in a statement.
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