76 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussions, if any, there have been with the United Nations regarding the possibility of opening a UN information office in Ireland. [14617/97]

There have been no discussions with the United Nations regarding the opening of a UN information office in Ireland. Any such proposal would be most welcome as it would underline our commitment to and close association with the United Nations system. It appears, however, that the United Nations' current budgetary restrictions make it unlikely that this will be possible in the near future. At present, the United Nations' information office in London services Ireland in terms of documentation and other information on the UN.