Report from today's Irish Examiner states that our Foreign Minister gave an interview to Vatican Radio in which he emphasises the strong diplomatic ties that Republic has with the Vatican. Interestingly, he also said that the decision
to close the embassy might be reviewed at some time in the future once financial circumstances improve.

Extract from the report:-

"I want to emphasise of course that our diplomatic relations with the Holy See remain very strong.

"We have appointed the most senior diplomat in our department, the secretary general of our department, to be the Irish ambassador to the Holy See and he will serve us at that function from Dublin.

"I would hope in the course of time, as our financial and economic circumstances improve, that we can revisit the whole question of where our missions are, including the question of our mission to the Holy See."

Read more here: Gilmore insists diplomatic relations with Vatican remain

The Taoiseach has already said that the decision will not be reviewed in the near future and maybe this is part of a deal with the Tanaiste that the latter would, after Kenny's announcement move, to assuage disquiet among the footsoldiers of FG and campaigners on this issue. From Gilmore's perspective, it might also help to counter, given recent Labour Party utterances, the impression that it has an anti-Catholic agenda and that therefore such an interview will do the Labour Party no harm.

A cynic might suggest "politics as usual" with populist doublespeak.