Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2018
125. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department is specifically preparing a paper or papers examining the impact of a hard, soft and WTO or cliff edge scenario Brexit on Ireland; if so, the date work on the papers commenced; the status of these papers; the expected publication date; his plans to make them available to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8538/18]
View answerAs Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit, I have responsibility for coordinating the whole-of-Government response to Brexit, which is being advanced through the cross-Departmental coordination structures chaired by my Department which bring together the results of the detailed work which is being undertaken by individual Departments.
Intensive work on a no-deal or worst-case outcome was initiated in the late autumn. Its focus is on the immediate regulatory and operational challenges which would result from such an outcome. It assumes a trading relationship based on the default WTO rules, but also examines the possible effects on many other areas of concern. This work is therefore providing baseline scenarios for the impact of Brexit across all sectors, which can then be adapted as appropriate in light of developments in the EU-UK negotiations, including in regard to transition arrangements and the future relationship. It also takes account of the planning being undertaken at EU level by the new Commission Preparedness Unit, which is issuing information notes aimed at different business sectors.
Distinct but closely related work on the economic and sectoral impacts of various Brexit scenarios continues to be taken forward by individual Departments and agencies, as well as by stakeholder organisations, academics and others. The most recent major publication in this regard is the report released last week on Strategic Implications for Ireland arising from changing EU-UK Trading Relations, an independent expert study commissioned by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.
This report provides analysis of the likely impact of various Brexit scenarios on the Irish economy as a whole and on key sectors. It will help in the further preparation of our priorities for the negotiations and the consideration of possible additional mitigation actions over and above the many which are already in train. A number of further important studies are underway with a view to publication in the coming weeks and months.
The outcome of the European Council (Article 50) on 23 March should provide a better picture of the direction of travel in the negotiations. This will provide a basis on which the Government will publish a new paper in the coming months on our approach to the negotiations, our latest assessment of the economic and sectoral challenges posed by Brexit, as well as those of a regulatory and operational character, and our responses to them.
