Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2017
443. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the development of sectorial response plans to Brexit, the publication date of these plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38692/17]
View answer444. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the issues identified for consideration in the context of Brexit, including opportunities and their prioritisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38708/17]
View answer445. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of issues identified for consideration in the context of Brexit, including threats and their prioritisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38724/17]
View answer446. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the scenario planning that has been conducted by his Department for Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38740/17]
View answer447. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the methodology employed in the prioritisation of responses to Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38756/17]
View answer448. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funds that have been requested in response to threats resulting from Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38772/17]
View answer449. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funds that have been allocated in response to threats resulting from Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38804/17]
View answer450. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of vacancies in his Department for Brexit-related roles; the expected date for these roles to be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38820/17]
View answer451. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills his Department’s priorities for risk mitigation in response to Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38836/17]
View answer452. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the membership and role of all Brexit-related stakeholder engagement groups working with his Department on Brexit issues; the number of times each stakeholder group has met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38852/17]
View answer453. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the planned meetings with his European colleagues and officials to address Brexit-related issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38868/17]
View answer454. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the Brexit-related research being undertaken by his Department; the topics under consideration; the date this research commenced; the expected date for completion and publication in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38884/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 443 to 454, inclusive, together.
The comprehensive document “Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union: The Government’ Approach” published on 2 May outlined in detail the structures put in place by the Government to ensure a strategic and whole-of Government response to Brexit that ensures a coordinated approach to the identification of key priority issues for the EU-UK negotiations and the wider domestic response.
Since the publication of the comprehensive document, the Government has sought to further increase its strategic oversight of Brexit through the addition of a dedicated responsibility for Brexit matters to the role of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Cabinet Committee structures have also been reformed and a new Cabinet Committee has been established to deal with EU Affairs including Brexit.
The Government’s National Risk Assessment 2017, which provides a systematic overview of strategic risks facing the country, was published on 29 August following a public consultation process. The National Risk Assessment acknowledges the significance of risk arising from Brexit, and that Brexit represents an overarching theme that could have far-reaching impacts on nearly all aspects of national life. It identifies areas where Brexit poses a specific risk, particularly in relation to the economy.
As set out in comprehensive document of 2 May, the Government’s continuing work to ensure that Ireland’s interests are reflected in the EU’s approach to the ongoing EU-UK negotiations is a central dimension of Ireland’s strategic response to Brexit.
Work is also continuing across Government on Ireland’s wider response to the challenges and opportunities posed by Brexit, building on ongoing cross-Government research, analysis and consultations with stakeholders and encompassing the following themes:
- sustainable fiscal policies to ensure capacity to absorb and respond to economic shocks, not least from Brexit;
- policies to make Irish enterprise more diverse and resilient, to diversify trade and investment patterns, and to strengthen competitiveness;
- prioritising policy measures and dedicating resources to protect jobs and businesses in the sectors and regions most affected by Brexit;
- realising economic opportunities arising from Brexit, and helping businesses adjust to any new logistical or trade barriers arising;
- making a strong case at EU level that Ireland will require support that recognises where Brexit represents a serious disturbance to the Irish economy.
Policy decisions in support of these objectives also arise across a wide range of areas, including the annual budgetary process; the forthcoming National Planning Framework 2040; the new 10-year National Capital Plan; the Review of Enterprise 2025 Policy, and sectoral policies and investment decisions in areas such as agriculture, enterprise, transport, communications and energy.
Adopting a proactive approach from the start, the Irish Government put in place a contingency framework that maps the key issues that will be most important to Ireland in the coming weeks and months. My own Department contributed fully to the preparation of the education components of that framework.
Our work has been facilitated by the EU/International Unit of my Department which, under the leadership of a Deputy Secretary General, has been given overall responsibility for co-ordinating our response to Brexit. This Unit has been prioritising Brexit work to date and will keep staffing requirements under constant review. At this stage, it is anticipated that any additional needs arising can be provided for from within existing Departmental resources.
In discharging its Brexit-related functions, the EU/International Unit participates in the Inter-Departmental Senior Officials Group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, which coordinates the whole-of-Government response to the outcome of the UK referendum, and supports the Cabinet Committee on Brexit. This is further underpinned by the Unit's active engagement with other Departments in Brexit Workgroups on the Economy and Trade; the Common Travel Area; and European Union Programmes - three of the six sectoral workgroups established to provide key sectoral or thematic advices to the Cabinet Committee and Government. The Unit also chairs the Education and Research Subgroup under the Economy and Trade strand of co-ordination. The Subgroup includes relevant areas within the Department and relevant Agencies of the Department and other Departments/Agencies.
Meetings of the Education and Research Subgroup of the Economy and Trade Group took place on 28th October 2016, 15th February and 24th May 2017 and principally reflected on stakeholder consultations input and research collaboration. The next meeting of the sub-group is planned for September.
It is my priority to continue to engage actively on a number of fronts in dealing with the impact of Brexit on the Education sector. Consultation has been fundamental to my Department’s preparations for Brexit. We have consulted extensively with our stakeholders. Between December and January both I and Minister of State Halligan have led consultations with stakeholders from right across the higher education, further education and training; and primary and post-primary education sectors. More recently, on the 3rd July 2017, the Tánaiste, and Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Frances Fitzgerald TD, and I co-hosted a joint stakeholder dialogue on enterprise skills needs and Brexit. A further joint stakeholder dialogue on research with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation is also being planned.
Among the key challenges and risks identified in these consultations are Brexit's likely impact on the future of the Common Travel Area and its implications for students, teachers, academic staff and researchers; mutual recognition of qualifications; our enterprise skills base; UK/Ireland research collaboration and partnerships between education institutions and enterprise; as well as the implications for EU funding for research and the impact on EU funding programmes such as Horizon2020, PEACE IV and Erasmus+.
All of these issues will be factored in to my Department’s overall approach to future discussions and negotiations and our input to Government's preparations for EU-UK negotiations including the finalisation of our sectoral response plan. Both I and my Department will continue to consult with the sector interests as necessary through the period ahead.
I have attached particular importance to engagement at political and institutional level on our Brexit agenda. I have met counterparts Peter Weir and Simon Hamilton of the NI Executive, and the UK’s Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening. Meetings were also held with the former Minister of State for Exiting the EU, David Jones, the UK’s Opposition Spokesperson on Brexit, Keir Starmer, as well as members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Irish in Britain. Meetings have also taken place with Ministers from other EU Member States and with representatives of the EU Commission including Commissioner Navracsics.
All of this work is ongoing and must also respond to the emerging developments in the Brexit negotiations. My Department will work to ensure appropriate timely inputs to the current negotiations including the work of the Barnier taskforce.
While Brexit presents numerous challenges, it is likely to bring opportunities too. There may be opportunities for researchers and companies in Ireland to secure a greater percentage of EU funding due to the decrease in competition. Ireland already has well-diversified research partnerships across member states other than the UK.
There may be new research opportunities for Ireland as a remaining member of the EU and participant in the Horizon 2020 programme to build new collaborations with other EU universities/HEIs and industry. These opportunities will be maximised. The Government will work constructively to maintain the greatest possible links and co-operation between the EU and the UK in access to EU programmes.
With a view to leveraging potential opportunities the Action Plan for Education 2017 includes an action to develop a strategy to attract world-leading researchers to Ireland in the context of Brexit. Funding of €1.5m was provided in Budget 2017 for the Irish Research Council’s Frontier Research Programme, one of the key actions to be delivered under Innovation 2020; Ireland’s strategy for research and development, science and technology.
There may also be opportunities to increase the numbers of international students choosing Ireland in the wake of Brexit and this is factored into the implementation work underway led by my Department, working with the sector, in the delivery of the actions in the International Education Strategy 2016-2020.
I will keep under review the necessity for further allocations of funds as circumstances develop.
