Mr. Brendan Gleeson:

On recruitment for Brexit, the big issue was the additional controls the Department would have to provide at ports and airports, and the potential for a requirement for export certification of agrifood products to the UK. Those requirements arise because the UK intends to leave the Single Market and the customs union. We flagged a requirement, for when that happens, of almost 500 staff between certification and additional controls. In the event, there were several false starts with Brexit and we were left having to decide how to handle the recruitment process in circumstances where it was uncertain whether the UK would leave. The objective was to be able to fulfil the statutory requirements but not commit ourselves in perpetuity to an additional 500 staff. The UK was due to leave on 29 March but there was another extension-----