Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2017
65. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the specific measures her Department has taken to assist InterTradeIreland in the wake of the Brexit referendum result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38658/17]
View answerInterTrade Ireland (ITI), given its experience in promoting and strengthening North-South trade, is especially well-positioned to assist businesses in Ireland address the particular commercial challenges that Brexit may present for cross-border commerce. That is why the Government provided €250,000 in additional funding to ITI this year to allow it to undertake a range of initiatives aimed at better preparing Irish SMEs for the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. This included the introduction of a Brexit readiness voucher scheme, strengthening the body's capacity to deliver expert advice and a series of events focused on building awareness amongst SMEs of Brexit-related challenges. The extra financial resources provided brought my Department's total funding of ITI to €7.9 million in 2017.
Funding was also provided by the Government to ITI so that an important Brexit research project could be undertaken for the body by the Economic and Social Research Institute. That project, once fully completed, will improve our understanding of the impact on North-South trade of different trade and tariff regimes that could potentially result on account of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. It will also provide key data on the extent and concentration of cross border commerce, including information on trade in services. The first phase of this study, relating to the potential impact of World Trade Organization tariffs, was completed earlier this year and was published in June.
