106. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current functions performed by the National Security Authority pending its proposed transfer to the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration; the resources currently allocated to the Authority; and the work being undertaken to facilitate that transfer [53865/26]

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade chairs the National Security Authority (NSA), an interdepartmental group and the relevant authority for the protection of EU classified information (EUCI) as set out in Decision 2013/488/EU.

In this capacity, as well as chairing the interdepartmental group my Department issues personnel security clearance certificates on behalf of the National Security Authority to officials seeking to access EUCI provided that applicants have satisfied necessary criteria and vetting by An Garda Síochána.

The NSA is managed by a team within the Corporate Services Division of my department.

In line with the Programme for Government 2025 commitment to bring the NSA under the remit of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, a process is under way in that department to give effect to this.  My Department supports this important work and is participating in the process to take it forward.