Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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67. To ask the Taoiseach 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 in 2017; and the anticipated cost. [31280/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Brexit is treated as a crucial cross-cutting issue by my Department, through the International, EU and Northern Ireland Division, under a Second Secretary General who also acts as the Irish Sherpa in EU matters, including Brexit.

While the Division handles a range of responsibilities across international, EU and British and Northern Ireland relations, Brexit is the dominant issue at present. Staff in other divisions also contribute to the work on Brexit, notably the Economic Policy Division in respect of the economic implications and policy responses.

The International, EU and Northern Ireland Division has included secondment of personnel from Enterprise Ireland and the private sector to strengthen its capacity in this area.

Costs associated with Brexit were factored into my Department’s 2017 Revised Estimate provision which stands at €36.7 million. Resources allocated to Brexit in my Department are kept under ongoing review.