Written answers

Monday, 11 September 2017

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Brexit Staff

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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1329. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 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 Brexit unit; the cost to date; the anticipated cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37984/17]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael 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 Unit within its EU & International Trade Division. This Unit now forms part of a new Brexit & International Trade Division, headed by a full-time Head of Division at Principal Officer level. Brexit will also be a substantial component of the work of the Assistant Secretary General to whom this Principal Officer reports, in addition to EU and international trade matters.

The staff and administrative costs associated with the activities of the unit are paid from the Department’s Administrative Budget as required.

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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1330. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 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. [38000/17]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael 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 & International Trade Division. This Unit now forms part of a new Brexit & International Trade Division. It comprises eight 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. Its work is complementary to that of the Market Access Unit and that of other divisions in the department dealing with trade related issues.

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.

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

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