I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 and 254 together.
Within my Department, the key Divisions with responsibility for Brexit matters are the European Union Division and the Ireland, UK and Americas (IUKA) Division, both headed at Second Secretary General level. Additional resources have been assigned to both Divisions to cover the issues arising from the UK exit process.
The European Union Division contains a specific team focused on the EU-UK negotiations. Within the IUKA Division, there is a Brexit-specific policy co-ordination function now in place and there are teams focused on Northern Ireland and on wider British-Irish Relations whose core duties include Brexit-related issues. In addition, a number of officers of my Department are seconded to the Department of the Taoiseach and working on EU matters, while two officers are seconded to the International and EU Relations Division of the Department of Finance.
Many business units of my Department at headquarters in Dublin are involved in some way as part of the response to the UK exit, for example, the Legal Division, the Trade Division and the Policy Planning Unit. There is also an intra-Departmental senior management group focusing on issues relating to the UK exit, chaired by the Secretary General and comprising senior officials from across all relevant business units of the Department. Overseas, specific additional posts dedicated to issues relating to the UK exit have been assigned to our Embassies in London, Berlin, and Paris as well as the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union in Brussels, which has a unit dedicated to managing our response to this issue.
It is clear that these exit negotiations will be complex and intensive. To support the negotiation process, my Department received an additional €3.2 million as part of the 2017 allocation. This facilitated the transfer back to my Department from the Department of the Taoiseach of 14 staff to a new, enlarged European Union Division. Programme funds to support the secondment of Irish staff to the EU institutions and enhanced public communications and debate on the EU issues were also transferred.
The Department has allocated an additional budget of €2 million from the extra allocation provided as part of the 2018 Budget process. This budget will be used to increase the number of staff assigned to the management and support of the negotiations and to increase the level of support provided to our colleagues across all Government Departments and agencies.
It is becoming clearer that there are other implications arising from Brexit that the Department will also need to manage. There has been a sustained increase in passport applications from Britain and Northern Ireland since last June. There has also been a substantial and sustained increase in the number of Foreign Birth Registrations, acquiring citizenship through descent, right across the world. My Department is continually monitoring the additional needs associated with management of this process and engaging with the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform, as necessary.
