October 10th is D day for the campaign which has occupied the Department of Foreign Affairs, from the highest level to the lowest, for several years. A secret ballot of the UN General Assembly in New York will decide whether or not we will get a two-year seat on the Security Council. Our rivals are Norway, who is considered a certainty in view of its extensive aid-giving, and Italy, who was a late entrant but has run an intensive, effective and, some would say Machiavellian, campaign.
The resources of the mandarins at Iveagh House - and of every Irish diplomatic outpost around the world - have been deployed to lobby foreign powers for the vote; ministers and lesser folk visiting distant shores have been instructed to canvass vigorously and all have reported back the successful signs they have detected. One shining example of no stone being left unturned is the journey made by our ambassador to Australia, Dick O'Brien, to the Tuvalu Islands in the Pacific which, despite the tiny population, has a full vote. The prime minister told O'Brien: "You have come a long way; you must need this vote badly. Tuvalu will vote for you".
No time or effort has been spared in the undertaking. Earlier this month, at the General Assembly, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen met and canvassed 60 of his counterparts in the UN corridors and hosted a reception for all the permanent representatives. Kofi Annan turned up, which was considered a very good sign indeed.
But is it all worth it? Many think not. We want it for the prestige and to consolidate our position as a sovereign country. The sceptical argue that DFA's scare resources are devoted to the Security Council campaign at the expense of other sections; that there is excessive travelling in search of votes; that promises are unreliable because of the secret ballot; and that UN permanent representatives can ignore their governments' instruction.
However, that's not all. If we win, there will be even more work - but most importantly, we will be forced to declare our hand on international issues - while having to toe the EU line. Last time we were on the Security Council, we backed Argentina on the Falklands and that brought some unwelcome consequences. A Council seat means hard decisions.
Quidnunc can be contacted at: rholohan@irish-times.ie