Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2017
1626. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the membership and role of all Brexit-related stakeholder engagement groups working with his Department on Brexit issues; the number of times each stakeholder group has met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38861/17]
View answerBrexit is a key strategic risk for my Department and there are ongoing consultations and meetings between my officials, other Government Departments and agencies, and other public and private key stakeholders in order to plan for and mitigate the risks associated with Brexit and to identify opportunities arising.
My Department engages with a range of stakeholders across the various sectorial areas on an ongoing basis. In addition, an internal Departmental Committee on Brexit meets on a monthly basis to oversee the Department's analyses and implications as the negotiations progress.
As part of my Department's preparations for Brexit, there has been wide engagement with sectorial stakeholders. I hosted an All-Island Transport and Logistics Sectorial Dialogue in Dundalk on 23 January 2017 as well as an All-Island Dialogue on tourism the same day. The Dialogues were attended in total by over 200 transport and civic representatives from North and South. My Department also held a stakeholder workshop in April on the possible impacts of Brexit on maritime transport regulation and on the sectors on which this impacts, including merchant shipping, national shipping, fishing vessels, recreational craft, ports, equipment suppliers, service providers and training providers.
The Department is represented at meetings of a sub-group of the National Civil Aviation Development Forum, at which Brexit is a standing agenda item. The sub-group includes representatives from the airlines, airports, regulators and my Department and meets approximately every two months. My Department also chairs a Tourism Brexit Working Group which includes representatives of the main tourism agencies. It has met three times and last met on 18 May 2017.
