Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
2857. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of extra employees to be hired in her Department between now and March 2019 to prepare for a hard Brexit; the specific roles these new employees will take up; the estimated cost of hiring these new employees; the impacts on her Department's expenditure ceilings for 2018 and 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34660/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s contingency planning for Brexit was initiated well in advance of the UK referendum in June 2016. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is overseeing the co-ordination of the whole-of-Government response to Brexit through the cross-Departmental coordination structures chaired by his Department.
Contingency planning for a no-deal or worst-case outcome, bringing together the detailed work being undertaken by individual Ministers and their Departments on issues within their policy remit, was identified as an early priority and is now well advanced. Its focus is on the immediate economic, regulatory and operational challenges which would result from such an outcome. It assumes a trading relationship based on the default WTO rules, but also examines the possible effects on many other areas of concern.
This work has provided baseline scenarios for the impact of Brexit across all sectors, which can then be adapted as appropriate in light of developments in the EU-UK negotiations. This is enabling the modelling of potential responses under different scenarios, such as one where a withdrawal agreement, including a transitional arrangement, is concluded and where a Free Trade Agreement is the basis for the future relationship between the EU and the UK.
A Working Group, chaired at Assistant Secretary level and composed of officials from across the Department has been established to deal with Brexit issues. This Working Group is supported by the Department's Corporate Governance and Coordination Unit which is also responsible for coordinating the response to Brexit related issues within the remit of my Department.
My Department also has a full time dedicated attaché assigned to Ireland's Permanent Representation in Brussels. This officer is a member of the Department’s Working Group and is also fully involved in the preparations by Ireland’s diplomatic team in Brussels.
These arrangements are met from within existing resources and will be kept under review and enhanced as required.
The staffing resources required to meet my Department’s business needs are accessed through the Department’s workforce planning process, having regard to emerging business priorities, the availability of payroll resources and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s directives, guidelines and circulars on staffing. I am advised that there are currently no proposals to employ additional staff to prepare for a disorderly Brexit as described by the Deputy.
