Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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403. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of WTE earth observation specialists employed by his Department in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [50934/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department uses workforce planning processes to identify the critical resource needs required to deliver its business goals. Workforce planning is a key tool in enabling my Department to forecast its current and future staffing needs. The Workforce Plan aims to ensure a long-term, proactive and strategic plan by which my Department aims to have the right people, with the right levels of talent and skills, in each location and Division, doing the right thing at the right time.

My Department operates in a rapidly changing environment and none more so than within the IT sector of the Department. Overall staffing levels and required skill sets are continually monitored to ensure business needs are met (subject to the limits of the annual estimates process, the usual budgetary constraints and approvals by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. To support the Department's business needs, a competition is currently underway to fill an Earth Observation Specialist post. The primary purpose of this role will be to support the Department in the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy Regulations. The table below provides further details on the numbers of Earth Observation Specialists employed by my Department during the years referenced by the Deputy.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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404. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has plans to appoint additional WTE fisheries attaché to the Irish Permanent Representation to the EU. [50935/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department supports the Government initiative "A Career for EU”, Ireland’s strategy to increase Irish representation in the European Union's Institutions and Agencies to make sure Ireland maintains its influence within the EU’s institutions for years to come. The success of my Department's diplomatic representation abroad in assisting in the retention, expansion and securing of access to markets is directly related to the support and additional work carried out in my Department’s line divisions at home.

My Department currently has two officers in Attache (First Secretary) roles who are serving in Brussels through secondment to the Department of Foreign Affairs, one of whom is serving in a Fisheries specific Attache role in the Irish Permanent Representation to the EU. The Department's team is led by our Agriculture and Fisheries Counsellor. The demands of servicing the EU policy agenda, including fisheries policy, are under continuous review, including in the context of Ireland's next Presidency of the EU, which will take place in 2026. Any decision taken to increase my Departments oversea representation will be with due consideration to ensuring that our presence abroad supports the national interest, enhances market access and delivers on the expected benefits.