Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In the Taoiseach's recent manifesto for voters in the Fine Gael leadership election he referred to holding special day-long Cabinet meetings a number of times a year. Of all the issues we face on the island of Ireland, Brexit must be one of the most significant because of the implications for employment, not only in the North but also particularly in the South. In the case of the South, The Taoiseach has probably read the IBEC material, according to which, in certain cases, there could be very significant job risks, particularly in agri-related industries. As the new Taoiseach, a post in which I wish him well, has he arranged a day-long Cabinet meeting on Brexit to get his new Cabinet up to speed? It is set out in his manifesto that this is the way in which he will try to inject a little dynamism into what is a rather tired and jaded Government. The Government is replete with action plans with hundreds of points, but that is not the same as implementation plans that are acted on. In the Taoiseach's pitch to Fine Gael voters he pretty much acknowledged that he would bring a new dynamic. It is extraordinary that his predecessor had not published a White Paper on Brexit. That is not to say, as circumstances evolve, such a paper could not be modified or addenda and additions published to it. When will we see a White Paper?

On the different Departments, how is the Civil Service to operate if it does not have a mandate? Furthermore, there are quite a lot of distinguished people with huge European experience retiring from government service, particularly in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as former heads of the permanent representation in Brussels and so on. Will the Taoiseach give some consideration to retaining some of them? I also asked his predecessor about getting trade negotiators in to beef up Irish expertise.

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