Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
177. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of staff within his Department who are based and working with the European Union in Brussels; their present roles and responsibilities; the posts and responsibilities presently vacant; the corresponding figures on 23 June 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16558/23]
View answerThere are currently 5 staff from the Department who are based and working with the European Union in Brussels.
Four of these are on secondment to the Department of Foreign Affairs and are serving in attaché posts with responsibility for a specific area in the Permanent Representation to the European Union. The attaché posts are as follows: Telecommunications, Energy, Environment and Climate.
In addition, one employee is on secondment to the European Commission as a Seconded National Expert for Environment.
On the 23 June 2016 the Department had two staff based in Brussels on secondment to the Permanent Representation to the European Union as attachés. These attaché posts were for Communications and Energy.
There are no current posts and responsibilities associated with working with the European Union in Brussels on behalf of my Department which are vacant. However, an additional post is to be created later in 2023 in relation to Cybersecurity, for which a candidate has been selected.
