Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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269. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department has commissioned economic or regulatory impact assessments of the risks to sectors under the purview of her Department following the decision of the UK to exit the EU and the various types of future relationships that might result; if she will provide a copy of such studies conducted; the persons or body commissioned to conduct this research; the cost of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6299/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department has not commissioned economic or regulatory impact assessments following the decision of the UK to exit the EU under the various categories as referred to by the Deputy.

Contingency planning at both a domestic and an EU level is focused on three areas: preparing for a no-deal scenario or so-called “disorderly Brexit”; preparing for a transition period based on the “status quo”; and preparing for the future EU-UK relationship. 

While the outcome of the December European Council and the move on to Phase 2 has lessened the likelihood of a disorderly Brexit, very detailed work on a no-deal or worst-case-scenario is advancing intensively through the cross-Departmental coordination structures chaired by the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade. This work is also informed by ongoing stakeholder engagement.

The Government’s contingency planning continues to be firmly grounded in the extensive work and outreach that has already been undertaken by individual Departments and agencies, as well as by stakeholder organisations, academics and others.  Much of this is in the public domain.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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270. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the additional budget for 2018 or other years, provided to her Department and all agencies and bodies within her remit to plan or prepare for Brexit; the number of additional staff that have been recruited to work on this policy area in each body, agency and her Department; the number of dedicated staff planning and working on Brexit matters in each; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6316/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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As the Deputy may be aware, in January 2017 I hosted an all-Ireland sectoral dialogue with young people in Croke Park to discuss the potential impact of Brexit on the lives of children and young people on the island of Ireland. Matters in relation to Brexit were also discussed by over 100 children and young people in April 2017 as part of the annual regional Comhairle na nÓg Networking event. More recently, the Ombudsman for Children, together with the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, hosted a meeting of children and young people from North and South on the impact of Brexit in Newry on Friday 10th November . This event was attended by the Secretary General of my Department.

This engagement has enabled my Department to table those issues which may impact on children and young people, post-Brexit, and indeed identify those issues which resonate most strongly with our youngest citizens. However, it is important to note that such matters are as a rule subsets of much larger items which will be considered in conjunction with colleagues in the Departments of Finance, Justice and Equality, Education, and Health as part of the wider negotiating process. The direct impact of Brexit on my Department, and the agencies under its remit, is very limited, and there is at present no requirement for dedicated Brexit resources . No additional staff have been recruited to undertake work on Brexit matters in my Department and no additional funding has been provided to my Department or to the agencies under its aegis for the purpose of addressing issues relating to Brexit in 2018 or in other years.

My Department continues to actively engage with the cross-Departmental Brexit coordination structures chaired by the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade . I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to work closely with colleagues across Government to protect the rights of children and to address the many challenges resulting from Brexit.