THE Department of Foreign Affairs is to introduce 'Our Man in Havana'-style foreign embassies with just one diplomat attached to them, in a further effort to cut their costs.

However, the department has ruled out the possibility of closing any embassies as part of a rationalisation plan for Ireland's expensive diplomatic service.

Instead, a number of European Union embassies, which are considered to be overstaffed, have been identified for a major rationalisation programme.

The department declined to identify which of its missions would be affected by the change but it is believed embassies in Scandinavia and in eastern Europe will face cutbacks.

A spokeswoman said: "While the department has made a number of proposals in respect of particular embassies, the matter has not yet been considered by government.

"We expect a government decision on ambassadorial posts – possibly next week – [and] this should provide clarity."

The department said the move to reduce staffing in the embassies would be done on a trial basis in the initial phase.

"Such missions will be staffed by a single Irish diplomat with appropriate local support and back-up from Dublin and other missions in the region.

"They will be explicitly tasked to prioritise our work on EU affairs and the promotion of our economic interests.

"There are particular challenges in implementing such a model.

"Irish embassies are already relatively small in comparison to many other countries and it remains to be seen if a one-person mission is entirely feasible.

"The performance of these lighter missions will be closely monitored in that regard to see if the desired outcomes can be achieved."

The department said it would continue to make changes to its diplomatic network with a view to helping in the country's "economic recovery".

It said the opening of a new embassy in Abu Dhabi last year would be of "significant economic value" to the country. Meanwhile, the consulate general in Cardiff, Wales, is to close, with staff redeployed elsewhere.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has already insisted that two embassies in Sweden and at the Vatican – both mooted for possible closure – will remain open.

The Swedish embassy in Ireland has just been closed as part of a cost-cutting plan in Stockholm, which saw similar missions shut in Bratislava, Ljubljana, Luxembourg, Sofia and Dakar. The Irish government said it has no plans to reciprocate by closing its mission there.

The department has also ruled out closing one of the two embassies that are maintained in Rome, one for the Italian government and one for the Vatican.