Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to answer that question. The Deputy will understand this only too well as a former Minister in the Department. We get weekly working briefings from our diplomatic missions across the European Union giving us feedback on the issues of the week and the day. Obviously, there is a lot of feedback on Brexit at present. In this case that weekly briefing documentation, which is circulated quite widely within not only the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade but also some other Departments in order to keep people informed of the state of play as we get feedback from our various different consulates and embassies was leaked to a journalist.

It should not have happened and we are engaged in an internal investigation within the Department to discover how it was. We are also reviewing the circulation of working briefing documents on a weekly basis to ensure it does not happen again. We have explained that very clearly to our counterparts in the British Government.

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