The Department of Foreign Affairs paid out nearly €30 million in allowances to staff in the space of 18 months. Allowance payments in 2024 totalled €19.1 million, with a further €10.8 million paid out during the first six months of this year. These are payments made to cover the “additional indirect costs” involved in the representational role of diplomatic staff. A total of €1.1 million was paid in other allowances, which includes a lengthy list of entitlements for certain staff. Asked about the expenditure, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said all their staff were paid in line with official pay scales.
