Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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367. To ask the Minister for Health the status of plans to hire inspectors as a result of Brexit; the number expected to be hired; the number expected to be fully trained and in place by the 29 March 2019; the date by which all hires will be in place by; his plans to expedite this process as a result of the decision by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to defer the vote on the withdrawal agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52895/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Any Brexit scenario will mean considerable change and impact for Ireland and extensive and detailed Brexit preparedness and contingency work is being taken forward, co-ordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, working closely with the Department of the Taoiseach, across all Government Departments and Agencies.

The focus continues to be on ensuring an orderly UK withdrawal through ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement endorsed by the European Council on 25 November and agreed with the British Government.

However, it is only prudent for the Government to prepare for all scenarios. Departments continue to plan and prepare for both the 'central case' scenario and a disorderly Brexit scenario and updated Departmental Action Plans have evolved and developed based on the changing situation. It is not possible to eliminate all risk but the Government is working at home and at EU level to mitigate damage to the greatest extent possible.

The Government has already taken a number of key decisions on measures to be put in place for the necessary checks and controls for trade on an East West basis. This includes the identification of staffing requirements for the implementation of the necessary Official Controls (also referred to as Sanitary and Phytosanitary or SPS checks) carried out by the HSE’s Environmental Health Service (EHS). The EHS is the competent authority with responsibility for official controls on food products such as food of non-animal origin and some composite food products.

An additional allocation of €2.079 million is being made available to the HSE EHS in 2019 for additional posts required for food import controls and export certification based on the central case scenario. The HSE is currently recruiting an additional 61 Environmental Health posts as part of its Brexit preparations. Every effort is being made to expedite the recruitment and training of these additional staff and to have them in place as soon as possible in 2019.