Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

These two questions relate to meetings the Taoiseach has had. I will keep my other question relating to the outcome of the European Council meeting until later.

Yesterday I was trying to get a handle on the structure within the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in terms of the preparation for these meetings, including the Taoiseach's preparation for the meetings. Who is the lead official dealing with Brexit? Is it the second Secretary General in the Taoiseach's Department or the second Secretary General in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade? What structure is in place for the European affairs and Northern Ireland divisions within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to input into the unit that the Taoiseach has expanded within his Department, as European affairs moved over to the Department of the Taoiseach in the last Administration?

There are now three units. There is a European affairs unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and there is another one in the Department of the Taoiseach and there is a Northern Ireland element in both the Department of the Taoiseach and in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. What is the line of management? How is this co-ordinated? All of us are profoundly worried after the very hard line position enunciated by Prime Minister May yesterday.

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