Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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544. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a Brexit sub-committee has been established in his Department; if so, when the sub-committee was convened; the number of times the sub-committee has met; the number of members on the sub-committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36212/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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A Committee has been established within my Department arising from the UK decision to leave the EU. The Committee has formally met on two occasions to date with a further meeting planned for tomorrow, 23 November 2016. However, consideration of the implications of Brexit have been ongoing across the Department and with other Government Departments and agencies since before the UK Referendum. The Department is also represented on the Inter-Departmental Group chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach.

The membership of the Department's Committee is flexible to reflect current and any emerging implications of Brexit. All Heads of Functions within the Department have a standing invitation to attend and membership currently includes representatives from the aviation, maritime, land transport, sustainability, Irish Coast Guard, climate change and policy coordination functional areas within the Department.

Brexit is a key strategic risk for my Department and there are ongoing consultation and meetings between my officials, other Government Departments and agencies, and other public and private key stakeholders in order to plan for and mitigate the risks associated with Brexit and to identify opportunities arising.