Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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218. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if there is a senior official with designated responsibility for Brexit matters in his Department; if so, the grade of the designated official; the funding allocated to the said Brexit unit; the cost to date; the anticipated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17001/17]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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219. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of staff deployed full-time in his Department in respect of Brexit; if there is a designated section or unit to deal with Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17017/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 and 219 together.

  Matters in relation to Brexit are managed by the team responsible for the existing coordination of EU and international business in my Department, with input from relevant line sections and experts across the organisation, as necessary. The relevant team, in the Assistant Secretary led Corporate and Business Support Division, is headed by a senior official at Principal Officer level and, while there are no staff deployed full-time to the issue, three people are involved directly at various times along with input from a larger number of staff across the organisation as required. Brexit-related matters are also kept under regular review by my Department's Management Board. Apart from the normal staff and overhead costs, which have not been quantified to date, no specific additional funding has been allocated in my Department for Brexit-related matters at this point in time. 

Brexit is a Government-wide issue and my Department has been working closely with other Departments on the preparations to date and will continue to do so in the negotiation period ahead.