Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government welcomes the agreement reached between the UK and EU negotiators on a draft withdrawal agreement. However, it must be acknowledged that we are not yet at the end of this process and that uncertainties remain. Our priority now is to work towards the finalisation of the draft withdrawal agreement and the political declaration on the EU-UK future relationship.

The Government's contingency planning for Brexit was initiated well in advance of the UK referendum in June 2016. To that end, co-ordination of the whole-of-government response to Brexit is being taken forward through cross-departmental structures chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. My Department, with the Revenue Commissioners and the Central Bank, is actively engaged in this work which has now been intensified. Our overriding approach is to be careful with the public finances in order that we can build resilience and continue to remain competitive.

With regard to the Revenue Commissioners, we took a number of key decisions in July and September on measures for the necessary checks and controls for trade on an east-west basis. An open recruitment campaign was undertaken in September and attracted more than 3,000 applications. Some 43 trade facilitation staff have been appointed since September and the Revenue Commissioners have informed me that they are fully on track for the first phase of 200 trade facilitation staff to be trained and in place working on a 24/7 basis by 29 March 2019. The recruitment and training of the remaining 400 staff are set to progress on a phased basis over the transitional period. All of the investment in IT has now been made to cope with the different options we may face.

The Central Bank has been actively engaged in the process. It is working to ensure financial services firms are adequately prepared. It continues to work with firms in seeking to ensure all authorisations required for post-March next year are in place.

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