Diplomat received €29,200 in child education support

One member of the Irish diplomatic corps received almost €30,000 last year towards a child’s education abroad, new figures show.

According to Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore, his department is projecting to spend €1.1 million on the school fees assistance scheme for diplomats this year.

The Tánaiste confirmed that the total spent on the scheme last year was €1 million, with one official in the scheme receiving €29,200.

Figures from the Tánaiste show diplomats serving in the US were awarded a total of €141,000 under the scheme in 2011.

The next highest amount was €113,700 to diplomats serving in Belgium, due to the large Irish diplomatic presence at the EU in Brussels.