The Department of Agriculture are to recruit 116 staff in 2019 who will be responsible for carrying out checks on animals and food products at Irish borders. Arrangements are currently being put in place to commence the recruitment process.

The recruitment of border officials is part of the Department’s Brexit preparations as there is an anticipated rise in the need for staff trained in import control and export certificate.

Arrangements are in place to facilitate rapid transit of product via the UK land bridge between Ireland and other Member States

In response to a parliamentary question Minister Michael Creed said it was phase one of a planned recruitment period for border control staff until 2021.

He also said it was important to ensure that “arrangements are in place to facilitate rapid transit of product via the UK land bridge between Ireland and other Member States”.

Controls

From an agri-food perspective these sanity and phytosanitary (SPS) controls will include checks on animals, plants and products of animal and plant origin imported from the UK, as well as providing export certificate required by the UK.

Along with the additional SPS staffing requirements there will also be additional infrastructural and IT resources allocated at ports, airports, exporting plants and Department offices.

Read more

No new checks on agri-food exports to the UK in hard Brexit

Brexit: 1,000 customs and veterinary officers to be hired