Micheál Martin
Ceist:110. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when his attention was drawn to the recruitment of up to 1,000 officials to prepare for Brexit. [35451/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 18 September 2018
Ceisteanna (110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116)
Micheál Martin
Ceist:111. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if officials in his Department attended meetings when the recruitment of 1,000 officials was being discussed. [35452/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMicheál Martin
Ceist:112. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he or his officials have discussed the need to recruit up to 1,000 officials for Brexit with President Juncker. [35454/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMicheál Martin
Ceist:113. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he or his Department officials ever discussed the need to recruit 1,000 officials for Brexit with Mr. Michel Barnier. [35455/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMicheál Martin
Ceist:114. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he or his officials mentioned the need to recruit 1,000 officials for post-Brexit with an EU leader. [35456/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMicheál Martin
Ceist:115. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason he did not inform Dáil Éireann before the summer recess regarding the need to recruit 1,000 officials to deal with post-Brexit. [35457/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMicheál Martin
Ceist:116. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the details of the 1,000 officials who need to be recruited to assist with Brexit; and the location of same. [35458/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 to 116, inclusive, together.
The Government’s contingency planning for Brexit was initiated well in advance of the UK referendum in June 2016 and since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in May 2017 I have overseen a sustained intensification of these efforts.
To this end, co-ordination of the whole-of-Government response to Brexit is being taken forward through the cross-Departmental coordination structures chaired by my Department, and on 18 July I presented a detailed Memorandum to the Government on Brexit Preparedness and Contingency Planning. The Memorandum included elements aimed at moving from planning to implementation in a number of key areas and the Government requested detailed follow-up proposals, including in regard to the recruitment of customs officers and staff responsible for sanitary and phytosanitary checks. The Government had a further discussion on contingency and Brexit preparedness on 18 September.
On 19 July, the European Commission published a paper on Preparing for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 30 March 2019, calling on the EU27 Member States to intensify their preparedness efforts. Regarding discussions with EU officials and other Member States, the European Commission has offered guidance regarding potential consequences resulting from various Brexit scenarios, and where planning is focused on areas of exclusive EU or mixed competence, the role of the Commission will be of great importance. However, each of the EU27 Member States has overall responsibility for their preparedness, including recruitment of customs officials.
Michel Barnier and his team are responsible for finalising the Withdrawal Agreement, including ensuring a legally operable, all weather backstop is in place, and he has our full support.