Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 May 2018
486. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the contingency planning that has been done in relation to the aviation sector to plan and prepare for a potential hard Brexit in view of the fact that there are no equivalent World Trade Organisation, WTO, rules to fall back on. [21067/18]
View answerContingency planning in relation to Brexit at both a national and an EU level is focused on three areas: preparing for a no-deal scenario or so-called “disorderly Brexit”; preparing for a transition period based on the “status quo”; and preparing for the future EU-UK relationship.
The European Commission is also contingency planning on this basis and in the context of contingency planning for a "disorderly Brexit" has put forward the possibility of a so-called 'bare-bones' EU-UK air services agreement (traffic rights & safety) and/or the possibility of unilateral EU measures. Ireland is liaising closely with the Commission on such matters and strongly favours an EU level solution to these issues.
The Government has been clear that its approach to preparing for Brexit is aimed at minimising the impact of Brexit on our trade and economy and an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU. This is certainly the case in aviation, given the importance of the sector for Ireland and the fact that the UK is by far the most important origin and destination for aviation traffic in and out of Ireland.
