Written Answers Nos. 89-116
89. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach the person or body that appoints a solicitor to the position of State solicitor in Cork, Dublin or elsewhere; the person or body to which State solicitors are responsible; and if they report to him. [37337/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra90. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach if the position of State solicitor is a full-time position; if he or she swears an oath on his or her appointment; and if he or she can act as a contractor or subcontractor in any capacity to a foreign state while he or she engaged as a State solicitor here. [37338/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 90 together.
Section 29 of the Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2005 vests in the Director of Public Prosecutions the power to appoint State Solicitors. Prior to this, the power of appointment of State Solicitors had been vested in the Attorney General by Section 6 of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924. State Solicitors are appointed by the Director of Public Prosecutions under contracts for service and report to the Director and her senior staff.
There are 32 State Solicitors areas. Generally one State Solicitor is appointed to every county outside of Dublin. Exceptions to this rule apply in Counties Cork, Galway, Kildare, Limerick and Tipperary. In County Cork four State Solicitors have been appointed; one each for Cork City, Cork North East, Cork South East and Cork West. In County Limerick two State Solicitors have been appointed; one for Limerick City and one for Limerick County. Counties Galway, Kildare and Tipperary have all been divided into two State Solicitor areas.
In Dublin the Solicitors Division of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, headed by the Chief Prosecution Solicitor, provides a solicitor service to the Director. The Division is staffed by solicitors directly employed by the Office and is responsible for the preparation and presentation of cases in the Dublin District and Circuit Courts, the Central Criminal Court and Special Criminal Court, the Court of Appeal and the High and Supreme Courts. Outside the Dublin area the 32 local state solicitors provide a solicitor service in the Circuit Court and in some District Court matters in their respective local areas.
When vacancies arise for State Solicitor positions they are advertised and following an open competition a contract is awarded for typically a 10 year period. The contract awarded is a contract for service. No oath is sworn on appointment; rather the obligations and duties of the State Solicitor are set out in their contract. As the contract is not a contract of service (employment contract) the issue of full time or part time does not arise. The contract places an obligation on the State Solicitor to discharge all of the criminal prosecution work in their area. In larger areas such as Cork City and Limerick City, because of the volume of work the State Solicitor will engage additional solicitor support to assist them in the discharge of their contractual obligations. The contract allows the State Solicitor to engage in private practice subject to a range of restrictions.
There is no specific contractual prohibition on a State Solicitor acting as a contractor or subcontractor for a foreign State provided that the terms of any such contract or subcontract would not conflict with the terms of their contract as State Solicitor.
91. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with Pope Francis. [37540/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI met with Pope Francis during his visit to Dublin Castle on Saturday 25th August.
The meeting provided an opportunity for both of us to discuss a number of issues, though regrettably not in any great depth because of the short duration of the meeting.
I welcomed Pope Francis who thanked me for the warm welcome he had received on arrival.
We spoke of the legacy of pain and suffering caused by the failures of the Church and State in Ireland. We discussed that Ireland is still a country with strong faith but that there is still much to be done to bring about justice and truth and healing for victims and survivors.
I thanked the Pope for his statements on climate change, accepting refugees and international development. We also spoke of Irish missionaries, how they continue their work today, and also about the Pope’s home country of Argentina and the role of Irish missionaries there.
I also used the opportunity during my speech later that day to expand on these issues and to express my strong wish that words need to be followed up by actions.
92. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when Cabinet committee D, infrastructure, will next meet. [37542/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe next meeting of Cabinet Committee D has not yet been scheduled.
As I have previously indicated to the House, the Committee works to ensure a coordinated approach to the delivery and ongoing development of policy across the areas of infrastructure investment and delivery, housing, and climate action. There is significant work underway across each of these areas.
Cabinet Committee D also provides a forum for strategic oversight of the implementation of Project Ireland 2040, the Government’s overarching policy initiative to achieve balanced development, and meet the infrastructure needs of our growing population.
Under the two pillars of Project Ireland 2040 - the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan – Four Funds, totaling €4 billion in investment, have been launched in the areas of both Rural and Urban Regeneration and Development, Climate Action, and Disruptive Technologies.
In addition, the Land Development Agency, another cornerstone initiative of Project Ireland 2040 was recently launched. It will work to ensure the optimal use and management of State land through strategic development and regeneration, with an immediate focus on delivering homes, including social and affordable homes.
Housing remains a central priority for the Government. While the indicators show that the numbers of new houses being built is up by more than a third compared to this time last year and is increasing month on month, we recognise that we are still facing a huge challenge in meeting demand. We will continue to focus on increasing housing supply, tackling homelessness and increasing the availability of affordable and social housing through the delivery of Rebuilding Ireland and the additional policy measures announced by Minister Murphy to tackle these issues.
Climate action objectives are also at the heart of Project Ireland 2040 and building on the National Mitigation Plan an investment of €22 billion in Exchequer and non-Exchequer funding will be made to ensure a step change in climate action policy.
93. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Taoiseach the political advisers being used by senior and junior Ministers in his Department since the commencement of this Government; the commencement dates of the employment of each; and the cessation dates of same employment in cases in which that applies. [36132/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetails of the politically appointed staff employed by my Department and acting in an advisory capacity are as follows:
|
Name |
Role |
Commencement Date |
Cessation Date |
|
Brian Murphy |
Chief of Staff |
14 June 2017 |
n/a |
|
John Carroll |
Head of Policy and Programme Implementation |
05 July 2017 |
n/a |
|
Patrick Geoghegan |
Special Adviser to the Taoiseach |
14 June 2017 |
n/a |
|
Angela Flanagan |
Special Adviser to the Taoiseach |
14 June 2017 |
n/a |
|
Philip O'Callaghan |
Special Adviser to the Taoiseach |
14 June 2017 |
n/a |
|
Clare Mungovan |
Special Adviser to the Taoiseach |
08 Jan 2018 |
n/a |
|
Jim D'Arcy |
Special Adviser to the Taoiseach |
04 Sept 2017 |
n/a |
|
Nick Miller |
Spokesman and Communications Adviser to the Taoiseach |
14 June 2017 |
31 Oct 2017 |
|
Feargal Purcell |
Government Press Secretary |
14 June 2017 |
31 Oct 2017 |
|
Nick Miller |
Government Press Secretary |
01 Nov 2017 |
n/a |
|
Sarah Meade |
Assistant Government Press Secretary |
31 July 2017 |
n/a |
|
Catherine Halloran |
Deputy Government Press Secretary |
14 June 2017 |
n/a |
|
Name |
Role |
Commencement Date |
Cessation Date |
|
Mark O'Doherty |
Special Adviser to the Government Chief Whip |
14 June 2017 |
n/a |
|
Greg Harkin |
Special Adviser to the Government Chief Whip |
14 June 2017 |
15 Feb 2018 |
|
Ed Carty |
Special Adviser to the Government Chief Whip |
12 March 2018 |
n/a |
|
Name |
Role |
Commencement Date |
Cessation Date |
|
Tony Williams |
Chief Strategist for the Independent Alliance |
14 June 2017 |
n/a |
|
Dónall Geoghegan |
Political Coordinator for Independent Ministers |
14 June 2017 |
n/a |
Special Advisers working with Minister of State Helen McEntee and Minister of State Paul Kehoe are employed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Department of Defence respectively.
94. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Taoiseach the positions in his Department and the organisations under its aegis that have arrangements in place for lo-call numbers or 1800, 1850 and 1890 telephone numbers for members of the public to contact his Department or organisations under its aegis; the number of these that are completely free to call for persons who use mobile telephones and may incur major bills telephoning such organisations; and if the situation will be reviewed. [36390/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides a LoCall phone number to those who may wish to avail of it. It is an 1890 number and it is not the primary contact number for my Department. This is made clear on my Department's website, through my Department's various entries in publicly available telephone directories, and through Internet search engines.
Where the LoCall number is published on my Department's website, it includes a note advising potential callers that the rates for this service may vary amongst service providers.
The National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO), the only body under the aegis of my Department, does not utilise any LoCall phone numbers.
My Department is aware of the consultation undertaken by the Commission for Communications Regulation in relation to LoCall numbers which was published in July 2018 and which includes a draft decision to withdraw some of these LoCall numbers over time. My Department will implement any recommendation made by the Commission in this regard.
95. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Taoiseach the NUTS 3 regions that are within 1% of the national unemployment rate; and the NUTS 3 regions that are not within 1% of the national unemployment rate, in tabular form. [37063/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the official source of estimates of unemployment (ILO) in the State. This survey replaced the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) from Q3 2017. The most recent LFS figures available are for Q2 2018.
The following table shows the unemployment (ILO) rates for persons aged 15-74 years classified by NUTS3 regions and in the State for Q2 2018.
Unemployment (ILO) rates for persons aged 15-74 years classified by NUTS3 regions, Q2 2018.
|
NUTS3 Regions |
% Q2 2018 |
|
Border |
6.5 |
|
West |
6.7 |
|
Mid-West |
5.8 |
|
South-East |
7.2 |
|
South-West |
5.3 |
|
Dublin |
5.3 |
|
Mid-East |
5.8 |
|
Midland |
9.7 |
|
State |
6.0 |
Source: Labour Force Survey, Central Statistics Office.
Data may be subject to sampling or other survey errors, which are greater in respect of smaller values or estimates of change.
Data may be subject to future revision.
Reference period: q2=Apr-Jun.
96. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Taoiseach the rationale for the decision to provide State funding to facilitate the Pope's visit here in 2018. [37189/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe visit by Pope Francis in August included a number of large scale events which were open to the public to attend. Thousands of people were expected to attend the Shrine at Knock and Mass in the Phoenix Park as well as lining the streets of Dublin to see the Pope.
The involvement of many of the State's agencies in these events was to ensure the security, health and safety of the public and to provide for crowd control and public order as well as providing the level of security required for any Head of State who might visit.
97. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the Cabinet committee meetings he has attended since June 2018. [37321/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have chaired three Cabinet Committee meetings since June 2018. Cabinet Committee B (Social Policy and Public Services) met on 7 June, Cabinet Committee C (European Union) on 21 June and Cabinet Committee A (Economy) on 9 July.
98. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if a decision not to award the 1916 commemorative medal to members of veterans groups (details supplied) will be reconsidered; and his views on whether the administrative reasons highlighted by the Minister for State with special responsibility for defence for not awarding the medal to these groups can be overcome. [35902/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government provided for the award of the 1916 Commemorative medal to all Defence Forces personnel, Permanent and Reserve, who were recorded as being in service in the course of 2016. This was a special acknowledgement from the Government to the members of Óglaigh na hÉireann who served during the centenary year.
As the Deputy is aware from my replies to previous Parliamentary Questions, and as I have indicated in response to representations on this issue, many thousands of personnel have served in the Defence Forces since the foundation of the State. To put in place a mechanism to establish the identity of each, contact those who are still alive, decide on eligibility and, in the case of infirm or deceased former members, resolve who should get the medal on their behalf, would place an inordinate and disproportionate administrative burden on my Department. This, in turn, would divert important resources to the detriment of other more pressing and relevant requirements of my Department and the Defence Forces.
In recognition of the contribution of veterans to the centenary commemorative events in 2016 it was agreed to present a framed medal to each of the Veterans Associations along with a plaque for each of ONE’s 41 Posts and each of IUNVA’s 21 Branches. It is not proposed to revisit this arrangement.
99. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the full costs of travelling by Defence Forces helicopter to Inis Meáin recently. [37201/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS) provides the Government and the President with an independent, flexible and effective air transport service to assist in meeting national and international obligations.
Air Corps helicopters are used from time to time for ministerial air transport in situations where, for operational reasons, fixed wing aircraft may not be available, the point of destination may not be close to an airport and in circumstances where there is a requirement for greater flexibility than can be delivered by fixed wing aircraft.
Information relating to the Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS) is published on my Department’s website and is updated on a monthly basis. In advance of the next update, the MATS details sought by the Deputy are set out as follows:
|
Date |
Ministerial Time on Board (Minutes) |
Route |
Department |
Passengers |
|
05/09/2018 |
104 |
Baldonnel Phoenix Park Inverin Inis Meáin Renmore Baldonnel |
Taoiseach |
Taoiseach, MoS x2, Plus 6 |
The costs associated with Air Corps helicopter used in provision of Ministerial Air Transport Service are as follows:
|
Aircraft |
Average Fixed Costs Per Hour € |
Average Variable Costs Per Hour € |
Average Total Costs Per Hour € |
|
Agusta AW 139 |
1,400 |
1,780 |
3,180 |
100. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the political advisers being used by senior and junior Ministers in his Department since the commencement of this Government; the commencement dates of the employment of each; and the cessation dates of same employment in cases in which that applies. [36695/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following are details of the special advisers employed in my office in the Department of Defence since May 2016:
John Coughlan - 6th May 2016 to date.
Clare Mungovan - 18th May to 10th January 2018.
Niall O'Connor - 29th January 2018 to date.
101. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if payments due to a person (details supplied) will be issued. [37405/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe position in this case is that the retirement gratuity due to the person in question was paid into his account on 3 September 2018. The initial pension payment due to him will be paid on 28 September 2018 as part of the September 2018 monthly pensions payroll, and will include arrears of pension back to the date of retirement.
There is also a refund due to the person in question in respect of surplus contributions to the Spouses and Children's Contributory Pension Scheme. The refund will be made on 26 September 2018.
102. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 300 of 29 June 2017, the grounds on which it was decided to reduce the disability pension payable by the annuity value of the total compensation received by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37409/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs I have outlined previously, Section 13(2) of the Army Pension Act 1923 provides that any compensation received from or on behalf of the person allegedly responsible for the act which caused the wounding may be taken into consideration in fixing the amount of any pension, allowance or gratuity awarded to an individual under the Acts. The underlying objective of Section 13(2) is to take into consideration awards made 'on the double' from any source for the same disablement.
In 1988, the then Minister for Defence made his decision to take into account all of the compensation received, and to reduce the disability pension by the annuity value of that compensation. He made his decision following a consideration of all aspects of the case, including, in particular, representations made by the applicant's solicitors.
Having reviewed the relevant file, I am satisfied that the disability pension in this case has properly determined in accordance with the relevant statutory provisions.
103. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason the LÉ Ciara did not proceed on its scheduled patrol on 20 August 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37506/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Naval Service is the State's principal sea-going agency and is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. The main day to day role of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union. The Naval Service is tasked with patrolling all Irish waters from the shoreline to the outer limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone. These patrols are carried out on a regular and frequent basis and are directed to all areas of Irish waters as necessary.
For security and operational reasons, details relating to the tasking of Naval Service vessels cannot be released.
104. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if peacekeeping duties performed by Defence Forces personnel in Kosovo included exclusive chauffeur duty to an assigned senior officer. [37526/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe International Security Presence in Kosovo (KFOR) is a NATO-led force operating under a UN mandate. KFOR was established on 10 June 1999, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, for an initial period of twelve (12) months, to continue thereafter unless the UN Security Council decides otherwise. The role of KFOR is to support the maintenance of civil law and order within Kosovo so as to develop a climate of safety and security.
Ireland has participated in KFOR since August 1999 following Government and Dáil approval. The mission is authorised under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Since then, the Government has reviewed and approved, on an annual basis, continued participation by the Defence Forces in KFOR. Currently there twelve (12) personnel serving at KFOR Headquarters.
KFOR, in close co-ordination with the Kosovo Police, continues to work towards maintaining a safe and secure environment. KFOR continues to monitor the security situation on the ground and maintain a deterrent posture to react quickly and decisively as required.
The Defence Forces have advised me that personnel are deployed to Kosovo to a variety of peacekeeping duties. While personnel may operate in a driver-support role in addition to other support roles, the information available at this time is that this did not include exclusive chauffeur duties to an assigned Senior Officer. However, they are enquiring further into the matter and I will revert to the Deputy when the information is available.
105. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the activities members of the Defence Forces were directed to undertake during the Papal visit; and the overtime payments made to them for work undertaken out-of-hours. [37648/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) which, in practice, means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. On foot of a request for ATCP assistance from An Garda Síochána, Defence Forces personnel were tasked with a number of activities during the Papal visit.
The activities completed by Defence Forces personnel ranged from conventional military tasks such as armed security cordons with surveillance equipment and engineer specialist search teams to assisting with the movement of patrons during events.
Unlike other areas of the Public Service and due to the nature of the duties performed, overtime is not available to members of the Defence Forces. In its place a Military Service Allowance (MSA) is paid to all ranks up to the level of Colonel. Military Service Allowance is designed to compensate for the special conditions associated with military life. These include unsocial hours of duty, exposure to danger, and the restrictions inherent in military discipline. For Privates, Corporals and Sergeants with more 3 years in service, MSA is worth €115.43 per week, per person. For Senior NCOs the rate is €122.87 per week.
In line with any other occasion when the Defence Forces are requested to operate in an Aid to the Civil Power, Defence Force members on duty in support of An Garda Síochána during the Papal visit will receive Security Duty Allowance (SDA). The current rates of SDA is €23.81 for each day on duty for less than 24 hours. The rate is increased to €47.59 for a 24 hour duty. Security Duty allowance is paid to all enlisted personnel and to officers up to and including the rank of Commandant.
The assistance provided by the Defence Forces for the duration of the Papal visit is greatly appreciated and acknowledged by myself and my colleagues in Government.
106. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he is examining the possibility for his Department to hand over properties in its possession to be refurbished and provided as affordable rental accommodation under a Defence Forces housing trust for military personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37821/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of housing accommodation is a matter in the first instance for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government and the local authorities falling under the remit of that Department. For its part my Department is committed to providing whatever assistance possible to support the implementation of the Government strategy on housing and homelessness.
In this regard, the Department engages with local authorities in relation to the transfer of appropriate property holdings outside of barracks that are no longer required for military purposes and that could form part of the general housing stock available to local authorities. It should be noted that particular issues arise in relation to providing accommodation to civilians within an operational military barracks, foremost amongst them being security.
Given that my Department is not the policy holder in this area and is already engaged as a matter of course with the relevant housing authorities in relation to the transfer of appropriate property as outlined above, it is not envisaged that the Department would in effect develop an additional administrative mechanism to replicate the function of a housing authority.
In relation to specific cases of difficulty, when requested to do so, the Department and the Defence Forces provide whatever support possible to assist personnel in accessing available housing supports. In addition, the services of the Defence Forces Personnel Support Service are also available if required.
107. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the estimated cost in 2019 of recruiting an extra 1,200 personnel into the Permanent Defence Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37832/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe White Paper on Defence (2015) sets out Government policy on Defence for the next decade. It commits to retaining flexible and adaptable defence capabilities for a broad range of scenarios and sets out capability requirements including personnel and equipment in this regard. In this context, it is important that an appropriate balance is maintained between personnel costs and equipment investment.
In December 2011, the Government decided to stabilise the strength ceiling of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) at 9,500 personnel. The Defence Budget provides sufficient resources for the full strength of 9,500 personnel and every effort is being made to reach this strength and there are no plans to exceed this figure.
As the Deputy will appreciate, developing a realistic costing on increasing the establishment to 10,700, is not simply a straight-line calculation. Achieving and sustaining such an increase would happen over a phased basis and would require the inclusion of other expenditure issues such as the training and accommodation infrastructures for such a larger force, along with training staffs etc., additional equipment, and potentially additional organisational and command structures. In addition, the issue of where such an increase in personnel was to be applied – e.g. Air Corps, Naval Service, Army or specialist corps – would have significant implications in terms of any cost calculation.
108. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if there will be a recruitment drive for the school of music in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37833/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the military authorities that a recruitment competition for instrumentalists in the Defence Forces School of Music ran from the 21 May to 29 June 2018 and it is planned to induct instrumentalists from that competition shortly.
109. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the estimated cost of increasing the security duty allowance of €23.81 per day for duty of less than 24 hours to €29 per day and from €47.59 to €60 per day for 24 hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37837/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn accordance with the Public Service Stability Agreement, 2013-2016, (the Haddington Road Agreement), all sectors across the public service were required to contribute to additional pay and productivity measures. Other sectors delivered these savings through a variety of approaches including additional working time and reduced rates of overtime payments.
The contribution from the Defence sector included a further reduction of 10% on the rate of certain allowances payable to the Defence Forces. As part of the cost saving measures to be secured under the agreement, it was also agreed with the Representative Associations that the Saturday and Sunday rates for Security Duty Allowance would be flat rated.
The cost of increasing Security Duty Allowance (SDA) from €23.81 per day on duty for less than 24 hours to €29 per day and from €47.59 to €60 per day for 24 hours is estimated to cost in the region of €1.25million in a full year.
This figure is based on the incidence of security duties performed in 2017. It should be noted that many security duties are demand led and the number of duties can fluctuate year on year. This variable must be taken into consideration in comparing any actual figures with speculative amounts.
It should be noted that the representative associations for the Permanent Defence Force, PDFORRA and RACO have made claims for the restoration of the premium rates which is being processed through the Conciliation and Arbitration (C&A) Scheme. As discussions under the C&A scheme are confidential to the parties involved, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the matter at this time.
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 fhreagra111. 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 fhreagra112. 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 fhreagra113. 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 fhreagra114. 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 fhreagra115. 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 fhreagra116. 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 fhreagraI 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.
