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

As the situation has been an evolving one we have been able to refine our requirement in terms of populating rosters to meet shift work and so on. For example, the Wexford facility will operate on the basis of two rosters and Dublin Port will operate around the clock, if I am not mistaken. We have been able to drill down into the granular detail around the staffing requirement. The overwhelming imperative is that whatever the Brexit date we are in a position to meet our legal requirements and satisfy the European Union in that regard. Rather than recruit a lot or direct staff, with all of the contingent responsibilities and liabilities that that would bring with it, I have been trying to meet this requirement from the point of view of the most financially efficient way to do it.

In doing it efficiently financially, we must also make sure we are doing everything necessary with regard to our legal obligations. We have worked through the detail of that around all of the border inspection posts and the type of staff that are necessary. We have refined our numbers requirement and I expect it will increase to some 230 staff. That is the figure we see as ultimately necessary but there will be some 120 staff in situ on 12 April. This involves redeployment of existing staff and new recruits. We have been working with the Revenue Commissioners in availing of some of the panels it has had, from which we have recruited some staff. I understand there are also some temporary contract staff arrangements being entered into so it is a mix of elements.

We are trying to make sure that we are not entering into long-term financial obligations for a situation that might not happen. It is the case, however, that a crash-out and a requirement for these staff is more likely now than it was some time ago when we were planning for the central case scenario. I am satisfied that we will be able to do everything that is necessary on the dates in question.

I will give the Deputy some data. Dublin Port, for example, will be staffed on a 24-7 basis. At peak times in Dublin Airport the Department will have some 40 staff on the ground to do documentary and physical identity checks when dealing with the UK once it becomes a third country. As I said earlier, Rosslare Port will operate on two shifts per day based on ferry activity with ten to 15 departmental staff managing inspections for these operations across peak times. The outcome is based on what is necessary to meet the demand. I am satisfied that come 12 April, or any future date, we will have the necessary number of staff in place.