Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.

On 22 February 2017, there were 197 civil servants, established and unestablished, working in my Department. One hundred and seventy-three were working full-time and 24 were working part-time. This equates to a whole-time equivalent of 189.2 civil servants working in my Department.

I have restructured my Department to ensure Brexit is treated as a crucial cross-cutting issue, including by creating a newly amalgamated international, EU and Northern Ireland division, under a new second Secretary General. In addition, my Department is in the process of recruiting additional staff. Among the business areas that will benefit from the additional resourcing are the international, EU and Northern Ireland division and the economic division. This is to ensure an effective, whole-of-government response to Brexit.

While responsibility for the strategic oversight for Brexit rests in my Department and preparations are co-ordinated through the dedicated Cabinet committee that I chair, it is worth emphasising that this is an all-of-government issue and each Minister has an important role to play. Since the UK referendum, the EU policy role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been strengthened, as have the roles of other key Departments and agencies at home and abroad. Each Department has developed a thorough analysis of the critical issues that need to be addressed in its sectors.

The 27 Heads of State and Government will meet shortly after Article 50 has been triggered to agree and adopt guidelines defining the framework for the negotiations. The General Affairs Council, GAC, including Ministers from the 27 member states, will then adopt more detailed negotiating directives and will authorise the opening of the negotiations. The European Council will discuss the negotiations on a regular basis and will update the guidelines and directives as required.

The European Commission will lead the technical negotiations on behalf of the Union. Its team will be led by Mr. Michel Barnier, as head of the Commission's task force on Brexit, and it will include a representative of the rotating Presidency of the Council. Progress will be monitored and guidance will be given to the Commission, by a dedicated working party involving all member states, which in turn will report to COREPER, the committee of permanent representatives or ambassadors to the European Union, which, of course, includes Ireland's permanent representative to the European Union. It is expected that the working party will meet at least once a week. The negotiations will, therefore, be under the overall strategic and political guidance of the European Council and the General Affairs Council – representing the member states - and will be scrutinised in great detail at senior official and ambassadorial levels. We will pursue our national interests and priorities fully within this framework.

See this speech in context