Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2019
429. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the contingences and supports in place to safeguard Irish wood producers and wood product businesses from all Brexit scenarios, including a no-deal Brexit; and the actions and documentation both online and offline required for wood product businesses to continue trading if the UK becomes a third country. [17322/19]
View answerWhile ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement is still the Government's primary focus, and preparations are continuing for all scenarios, greater priority has been given recently to preparations for a no-deal Brexit.
Over the past number of months officials from my Department have engaged extensively with the Irish sawmilling sector, wood packaging material producers and third country timber importers. Engagement with the sector has included visits by my officials to places of production, detailed consultations with stakeholder representatives including IBEC and Forest Industries Ireland, and direct discussions with companies operating in the sector. The objective has been to both explain the new phytosanitary import and export requirements that will arise as a result of the UK leaving the EU, and to inform my Department's own planning and communications activities. Follow-up to these engagements has involved email correspondence, one to one contact and the publication and update of relevant information on my Department's website, at https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/brexit/.
I have introduced a number of measures under the last three budgets aimed at improving competitiveness, and developing market and product diversification. I recently launched the Future Growth Loan Scheme which provides competitively priced loans for terms of 8-10 years that will support strategic long-term investment in a post-Brexit environment. Further information may be accessed on the DAFM website at: https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/agri-foodindustry/agri-foodandtheeconomy/agri-foodbusiness/futuregrowthloanscheme/. This Scheme is in addition to, for example, the €78m Brexit package for farmers, fishermen, food SMEs and to cover additional costs related to Brexit introduced in Budget 2019.
My Department has also sharpened its Brexit communications strategy, which now includes an enhanced Brexit page on the Department’s website, the circulation of focused Trader Notices to the relevant sectors, the establishment of a Brexit Call Centre, central e-mail address and increased use of social media. I would urge Irish wood producers and wood product businesses to engage with these services as we continue our preparations for Brexit.
