Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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1610. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of Brexit related posts sanctioned, filled and unfilled for his Department and Bord Bia in each of the years 2016 to 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26913/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Following the UK referendum in June 2016, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine established a dedicated Brexit Co-ordination Unit within its EU and International Trade Division. This Unit now forms part of a newly-formed Brexit and International Trade Division. It comprises four staff working full-time on the co-ordination of Brexit issues, including a full-time Head of Division, who in turn reports to an Assistant Secretary General deeply engaged in Brexit issues in addition to discharging other responsibilities. The Unit co-ordinates the ongoing analysis, consultation and engagement activities being undertaken by a large number of administrative, technical and veterinary staff, through an internal Brexit Response Committee comprised of 16 people drawn from the wide range of Divisions affected by Brexit (including, for example, Meat and Milk Policy, Animal Health and Welfare, Food Industry Development, Economics and Planning, and Seafood Policy and Development). It also feeds into the whole-of-Government co-ordination being undertaken by the Department of the Taoiseach.

The programme and activities of Bord Bia, the state agency responsible for the marketing and promotion of agri-food and drink, are all directly relevant to expanding market penetration and diversifying outlets for Irish food and drink against the background of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. Bord Bia currently has a staff of 116 and is in the process of recruiting for four more positions.

In overall terms, my Department is continuing to monitor the future workforce needs of both the Department and its agencies in relation to Brexit, and will be keeping resource allocations under close review as the negotiations proceed.