Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2017
36. Deputy John Curran asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of additional staff to be made available to each State agency under her remit to specifically deal with Brexit; the number of these staff who have been recruited to date in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30239/17]
View answerAn additional €3million was secured in respect of Pay in Budget 2017 and is being targeted specifically to assist in our response to the evolving Brexit scenario. It is enabling the Department and, primarily, our Agencies recruit some 40 to 50 additional staff to supplement existing staffing numbers. These numbers may grow as Agencies allocate additional Own Resource Income, by agreement with the Department, to recruit further staff to work on "Brexit-related" activity.
The additional €3m has been allocated across
- Enterprise Ireland (€1,700,000)
- IDA Ireland (€750,000)
- Science Foundation Ireland (€150,000)
- The Health and Safety Authority (€150,000), and
- The Department itself (€250,000).
In relation to the State Agencies listed above, the recruitment of staff for Brexit related issues is set out for below. The remaining Agencies that come under the remit of my Department are not at this time recruiting any additional staff specifically for Brexit related issues. It must also be borne in mind, however, that all these Agencies will have prioritised the Brexit implications arising for them in their individual work plans for 2017 and beyond, which serving staff will contribute to as part of their day-to-day work.
In relation to Enterprise Ireland, 13 posts have been filled to date and a further 21 have been advertised with the recruitment process ongoing.
Insofar as IDA Ireland is concerned, four Brexit related posts have been filled to date and the recruitment process for the remaining six is ongoing. Additionally, IDA Ireland has sought a further 21 staff resources in order that it can meet the jobs and investment targets set out in its Strategy – “Winning Foreign Direct Investment 2015 – 2019” - and to meet the global challenges of 2017 and beyond, with Brexit key among the identified challenges. My Department is pursing this request separately.
In respect of Science Foundation Ireland, the recruitment process to fill three Brexit related posts is currently underway and successful candidates are expected to be in place in the coming months. Furthermore, a number of current SFI staff also have Brexit related responsibilities, including an internal Brexit team led by one of its Senior Directors which focuses on Brexit related initiatives including, for example, direct engagement with UK colleagues in exploring and drafting potential joint schemes with the UK.
The Health and Safety Authority's recruitment planning is currently underway and the HSA hopes to be in a position to commence the process of recruitment in July for two Brexit related posts.
