Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the staffing aspect of Brexit, the largest impact for us will be on the passport service. We have a communications unit dedicated to Brexit and, in sheer numbers, there has been a significant increase in the numbers we have taken on to ensure we will have an efficient passport delivery service. The other areas across Departments that have taken on significantly more staff in the context of Brexit are those such as the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Revenue Commissioners, and agencies linked to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. As would be expected, more people have been taken on by Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Bord Bia as well as in local enterprise offices and so on in some cases. Sufficient resources are in place across Government but we will have to keep that under review.

If there is a no-deal Brexit, it will put a much greater strain on the system. If we have to manage the competing challenge of trying to protect the integrity of the Single Market while at the same time preventing physical border infrastructure on the Border, it will involve more resources and a plan to be worked out with the European Commission, which we would have to do unilaterally with the Commission. We hope that such a plan will not be needed, but in case it is, we are planning for it. If there is a no-deal Brexit, the expenditure on multiple areas, especially such as support programmes in vulnerable economic sectors including that of agriculture, will be significant, which the Minister for Public Expenditure, Deputy Donohoe, will take into account.

From our Department's perspective, we play a co-ordinating role, as opposed to taking on hundreds of people to work in Dublin Port, Rosslare, Dublin Airport or somewhere else.

In terms of co-ordination and communication, we have more staff and bigger teams in some embassies, London, Paris and Berlin being the obvious examples. I am satisfied that we have put in place sufficient staff resources, but in a no-deal scenario everything will change and we have to gear up for it. As of today, I am happy that we are in a reasonably good place.