Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the latter point I have been in contact with Commissioner Andriukaitis and my departmental officials have also been in contact with the Commission on the matter. We are awaiting a response.

I do not have the regional breakdown on Teagasc. However, I know that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has recently given approval to Teagasc for 15 new temporary posts to deal with the educational backlog. I do not know how they will be deployed on a regional basis. In a way it is a reflection that the industry is attracting new blood and young people, which is welcome. As the Deputy knows, Teagasc is undergoing a review of its green cert and educational offering to farmers, which is appropriate. We need to keep the matter under review. The approval of additional 15 temporary posts will enable Teagasc within its budget to deal with how it allocates resources.

In acknowledging the role my Department’s Brexit unit plays, I repeat the point that every one of the 3,000 employees in the Department is critical to the Brexit effort because of our export focus. The Brexit unit, the market-access unit, anybody who is involved in quality assurance and every individual farmer, who is committed to production to the highest standards and meeting the regulatory requirements under which they operate, are all critical to our Brexit effort. We will keep the resources under review.

Regarding Bord Bia, I believe feet on the street is the most effective response. It is currently recruiting additional staff. It has had a significant increase in resources over its 2016 allocation. We will keep the matter under observation.