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Brexit Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 February 2018

Wednesday, 7 February 2018

Ceisteanna (270)

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

270. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the additional budget for 2018 or other years, provided to her Department and all agencies and bodies within her remit to plan or prepare for Brexit; the number of additional staff that have been recruited to work on this policy area in each body, agency and her Department; the number of dedicated staff planning and working on Brexit matters in each; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6316/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As the Deputy may be aware, in January 2017 I hosted an all-Ireland sectoral dialogue with young people in Croke Park to discuss the potential impact of Brexit on the lives of children and young people on the island of Ireland. Matters in relation to Brexit were also discussed by over 100 children and young people in April 2017 as part of the annual regional Comhairle na nÓg Networking event. More recently, the Ombudsman for Children, together with the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, hosted a meeting of children and young people from North and South on the impact of Brexit in Newry on Friday 10th November. This event was attended by the Secretary General of my Department.

This engagement has enabled my Department to table those issues which may impact on children and young people, post-Brexit, and indeed identify those issues which resonate most strongly with our youngest citizens. However, it is important to note that such matters are as a rule subsets of much larger items which will be considered in conjunction with colleagues in the Departments of Finance, Justice and Equality, Education, and Health as part of the wider negotiating process. The direct impact of Brexit on my Department, and the agencies under its remit, is very limited, and there is at present no requirement for dedicated Brexit resources. No additional staff have been recruited to undertake work on Brexit matters in my Department and no additional funding has been provided to my Department or to the agencies under its aegis for the purpose of addressing issues relating to Brexit in 2018 or in other years.

My Department continues to actively engage with the cross-Departmental Brexit coordination structures chaired by the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade. I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to work closely with colleagues across Government to protect the rights of children and to address the many challenges resulting from Brexit.

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