Dear Ó Muimhneacháin,

We have given careful consideration to the questions put to us in your confidential letter E.109/55/40 of the 5th November.¹ Though naturally much would depend on the circumstances, the answers to your queries, so far as this Department is concerned, seem to me to be as follows:-

(a) If the Central Government continues to function from Dublin, part of the country being cut off by hostilities, we will probably require to maintain all our existing services. This will be so even if Dublin is subject to bombardment, involving dislocation of transport, etc.

(b) If the Central Government has to be transferred to a provincial centre, we would require to maintain, and transfer to the centre in question, the following minimum staff:- One Secretary, one Assistant Secretary, one Legal Adviser, two Assistant Principal Officers, two Cadets, one Accountant, one Archivist, five Clerical Officers, three Typists.

We would require to bring typewriters, the departmental seals, supplies necessary in connection with the issue of passports, etc. I suppose the papers we would require would fill six or eight large steel boxes.

I have made these particulars as specific as possible but, naturally, they would be subject to some variation according to circumstances.

It is very important that, in any arrangements which may be contemplated for the transfer of the Central Government from Dublin to a provincial centre, due provision should be made for the transfer at the same time of the Diplomatic Corps. Both from the practical and the prestige point of view it is essential that the Diplomatic Corps should remain with the Government and international practice places the duty of making suitable arrangements for the transfer of the Diplomatic Corps in such a case on the Government concerned.