Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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285. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of full-time and part-time staff hired since 1 January 2017 under the budget allocation (details supplied) to each State agency to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53668/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As part of Budget 2017, my Department secured an additional €3 million in respect of Pay to assist in responding to the challenges and opportunities associated with Brexit.

The funding was allocated to the Department (€250,000) and the following State Agencies as follows:

- Enterprise Ireland (€1,700,000)

- IDA Ireland (€750,000)

- Science Foundation Ireland (€150,000)

- The Health and Safety Authority (€150,000)

Enterprise Ireland

Enterprise Ireland received sanction to recruit an additional 39 full-time Brexit specific posts to work alongside existing staff within the agency.Of the 39 Brexit-related posts, which includes providing assistance to the Local Enterprise Offices, 36 have been filled to-date and the agency is actively working to recruit the remaining three posts.

IDA Ireland

IDA Ireland identified an immediate requirement for an additional ten full-time client-facing posts to supplement existing staffing numbers, and to assist the Agency in responding to Brexit and to capitalize on opportunities that may arise. All 10 of the posts allocated to IDA have now been filled after IDA Ireland undertook a rigorous recruitment process across a wide variety of channels to ensure that the best candidates were identified for these roles.

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) identified three full-time posts. They have made one appointment, which commenced in November and will have an emphasis on Brexit related opportunities. A second appointment has been made with an anticipated start in January, with one further post anticipated to be filled shortly thereafter.

These additional appointments will supplement an existing six members of staff who hold specific Brexit responsibilities. These positions include high-level political and strategic engagement activity led by the SFI Director General and other members of the SFI Executive Committee (2 x Directors), 1 Public Affairs Senior Executive, level D (20%) and 1 Unit Head, level F (20%) plus 2 Level E Scientific Programme Managers. These staff members have been employed by Science Foundation Ireland since before January 2017.

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA)

The Health and Safety Authority obtained sanction for the recruitment of two full-time staff, which include: a Socio-Economic Manager (AP level) to deal with the socioeconomic aspects of chemicals regulation in the lead-up to, and following, Brexit; and a Chemical Risk Management Advisor (GIII Inspector level) to deal with risk management of chemicals at the national and EU level also before and after Brexit. A recruitment campaign for these posts is currently underway with the aim of having both staff in place early in 2018.