Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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202. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the resources allocated to the new EU division within his department; the number of staff allocated to the division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34175/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Further to a decision taken by the Government in July in response to the result of the UK’s referendum on EU membership, a number of changes have been made to Departmental structures. These include the re-establishment of an EU Division within my Department following the transfer back from the Department of the Taoiseach of the bulk of the EU functions which moved to it in 2011.

EU Division is led by a Second Secretary General whose previous experience includes heading the EU Division in the Department of the Taoiseach and serving as Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the European Union. The Division has responsibility for EU policy co-ordination across Government and will lead on the forthcoming EU/UK negotiations, within the framework of the whole-of-government approach to Brexit, which is led by the Taoiseach.

There are currently twenty-one officials assigned to EU Division, with a further six to be appointed in the coming period. Its resources will be kept under constant review in response to evolving needs.

EU issues are of course the sole focus of the Permanent Representation in Brussels, our largest diplomatic mission, and a major part of the work of our Embassies in all twenty-seven other EU Member States.

In addition, the Department’s Ireland, United Kingdom and Americas Division, Trade Division, Legal Division and Policy Planning Unit are also currently devoting a very considerable share of their resources to EU/UK issues. The overall Departmental effort is led and co-ordinated by its Secretary General and Management Board.