Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 March 2018
118. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the attempts made by the State to secure additional funding from European institutions to mitigate the impact of Brexit. [5422/18]
View answerMaking the case for supporting measures at EU level that recognise where Brexit represents a serious disturbance to the Irish economy is a key pillar of the Government’s response to Brexit. This was a particular focus of my recent meeting with EU Commissioner, Gunther Oettinger, on 6 March. Commissioner Oettinger also met with the Taoiseach, Minister Donohoe and Minister of State D’Arcy during his visit, which was focused on the forthcoming negotiations on the EU’s post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which will be a key challenge and priority for the Government.
The Government’s efforts have already yielded results and it is clear that there is a firm understanding at EU level of the unique and disproportionate impact that Brexit will have on Ireland. This has already been reflected in a number of concrete measures and commitments to date, such as the European Investment Bank’s support for the Government’s Brexit Loan Scheme.
My colleague, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, is also working actively, with the support of other relevant Departments, with the European Commission to scope and design schemes to support enterprises impacted by Brexit in line with State Aid rules. This ongoing consultation process also provides scope to examine issues that require an approach that does not fit within the existing State Aid rules.
The Government is also working intensively to safeguard the significant financial support there has been for the border region of Ireland and for Northern Ireland, with almost €2.4 billion of EU funding having been provided for successive PEACE and INTERREG programmes. The current programmes have a combined value of €550 million over the period 2014-2020, of which 85% is funded through the European Regional Development Fund. I was delighted, therefore, that December’s agreed progress report between the EU and the UK includes a specific paragraph which reflects the Irish Government’s ambition to complete the current programmes and to examine favourably the possibilities for future programmes. In its communication to the European Council that accompanied the progress report, the Commission commits itself to proposing the continuation of the programmes in its proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework, which is expected in May.
