A revamp of the Irish embassy in China has cost the taxpayer €620,000.

According to the Irish Daily Mail, €82,000 of this was spent in 21 days in the run up to a state visit by President Michael D Higgins last December. Purchases included a podium, new rugs and doors and the restoration of an antique table.

€11,000 was spent on garden furniture alone.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs told the paper that the embassy in Beijing was built in the 1950s and prior to 2013, had seen only minimal periodic maintenance.

"As a consequence of wear and tear over many years in the demanding climate and atmospheric conditions of Beijing, they needed extensive refurbishment to make them fit for purpose," she said.