Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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291. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of staff dedicated to managing Ireland's response to the decision of the United Kingdom to exit the European Union; the structure of this team; how it will work with teams in other Departments; who has overall responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20298/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has adopted a Contingency Framework identifying key policy issues to be managed by Government Departments arising from the referendum vote in the UK to leave the EU.

The Contingency Framework is being co-ordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach. It is based on preparation over many months including inputs by Government Departments to identify the key strategic and sectoral issues arising from the UK disengaging with the EU. This framework will ensure that the Government and its constituent Departments are able to focus on key policy/issues to be addressed in any exit negotiations with a view to minimising potential operational risks likely to arise.

Amongst the priority issues identified in the contingency planning process is Energy.

Under the Contingency Framework, Ministers, Departments and Agencies will track and adapt the detail of contingencies and risk management strategies arising in each of the key areas identified.

As part of the contingency planning for a UK EU exit, a number of existing structures are in place and will be used to manage the process on a whole-of-government basis. This includes:

- The Cabinet Committee on EU Affairs and the Senior Officials Group that supports it;

- The joint UK Permanent Secretaries/Irish Secretaries General group and its North-South equivalent;

- A senior official in every Government Department has already been identified to oversee this issue - in the case of my Department this is the Assistant Secretary over the Energy area;

- The Department of the Taoiseach chairs an Interdepartmental group of senior officials that has been meeting regularly to look specifically at the bilateral and national interests affected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The work of this group will be scaled up and intensified;

- A wider consultative group of stakeholders chaired by Department of the Taoiseach comprising key business representative groups, ICTU and NGOs has also been meeting for some months now. The work of this group will also be scaled up and intensified;

- The work of the North-South Ministerial Council and the British-Irish Council will become more important as mechanisms to develop the detailed outworking of policy issues arising.

An internal group of senior officials in my department has been meeting since early 2015 to consider the implications of Brexit, to ensure that the impacts were identified and any that appropriate contingencies prepared. The work of this group will now be intensified and will focus on more detailed contingency planning. The Group, as indicated, will be chaired by the Assistant Secretary over the energy area who will in turn report into my Department’s Management Board chaired by the Secretary General.

As Minister, I will continue to ensure that the necessary political oversight is provided to the contingency planning process and to the development of negotiating positions insofar as issues related to my Department are concerned.