Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, in respect of staff who attend at committees, they seem to turn up in serious numbers.

I take on the responsibility for a whole-of-Government response to Brexit which means that, as required, Ministers and specialists attend at the Cabinet Committee on Brexit. They are all involved. This concerns Ministers as well as their Departments and agencies and, as Deputy Howlin is well aware, a consistent and comprehensive response is required at all times.

I restructured the Department to ensure that Brexit is treated as a particular, special and crucial cross-cutting issue. This included creating a newly amalgamated international, EU and Northern Ireland division under a new second Secretary General. The work of the division includes supporting the Cabinet Committee on Brexit and the Cabinet Committee on European Affairs. It is also supported by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade who now has a greater role in EU matters overall, with a newly created EU division and the existing division dealing with Anglo-Irish affairs both having important roles to play.

My Department has also availed of a range of specialist expertise and knowledge required to respond to the challenges associated with Brexit through the secondment of senior civil servants and personnel from semi-State bodies and the private sector to strengthen the Department's capacity in this particular area. If it is necessary to enhance that, that will happen.

At the moment, I am satisfied that we have the range of expertise required. It is always possible to take into account advice or views from other quarters. When the Prime Minister, Theresa May, triggers Article 50, these negotiations will formally start. No doubt there will be a response to her contribution today from various locations around the world. I expect that Mr. Barnier, who is heading up the Commission's negotiating team, will respond to the Prime Minister's comments, but the formal negotiations will not start until she triggers Article 50.

In respect of economic policy and European policy, I am satisfied that between officials, experts, special advisers and so on we have the range of skills and expertise necessary to deal with economic, financial, European and social policies as well as public sector reform.

The same applies in the case of international relations. In terms of academic qualifications, a number of the relevant team have undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in areas that are of direct relevance to their work in the international section.

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