Niamh Smyth
Question:191. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the contingency steps being taken to limit the impact of a no-deal Brexit on the agriculture sector here. [42400/19]
View answerWednesday, 16 October 2019
Questions (191, 193)
Niamh Smyth
Question:193. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the contingency steps being taken to limit the impact of a no-deal Brexit on the agriculture sector here. [42474/19]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 and 193 together.
Addressing the challenges of a no-deal Brexit takes place at a number of levels and has involved responses at the EU level, responses by Government and responses by businesses and affected sectors. The Government's Contingency Action Plan update published in July 2019 highlights the intensive work which has taken place across Government, including by the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine.
I have introduced a number of supports to assist the agriculture sector in preparing to address the challenges posed by Brexit. These include:
- the €150 million Low-Cost Loan Scheme;
- the €300 million Brexit Loan Scheme;
- the €300 million Future Growth Loan Scheme; and
- the €100 million Beef Exceptional Aid Measure.
In addition to the above supports, I have introduced a range of other measures over the last number budgets to assist the agri-food sector in preparing to address the challenges posed by Brexit. These include:
- Direct aid to farmers;
- Capital funding for the food industry;
- Supports for Bord Bia and Teagasc to assist food companies prepare for Brexit including through market diversification and innovation.
I have led an intensified series of trade missions to develop and grow new markets to increase the sector's global footprint across the world, and to reduce our dependence on the UK market. I have appointed Attaches throughout the globe to further develop and deepen market access.
In Budget 2020, the Government announced that it will provide a ‘no-deal’ contingency fund to support our most vulnerable sectors, with up to €650 million available overall, to be activated in tranches as the full impacts of Brexit emerge. €110 million will be made available for the agri-food sector in the first tranche, to be supplemented by any exceptional aid provided by the EU.
The provision of immediate supports for our beef sector will be a first priority, as will support for our fishing fleet. We also want to support food companies to re-orient towards new products and markets, and to support other sectors to improve their competitiveness.
While supports cannot fully address the negative effects of a no-deal Brexit for the agri-food and fisheries sectors, this first tranche of supports will be used to ameliorate the immediate impact on farmers and fishermen, as the full impact of a no-deal Brexit crystallises, and to make some of the adjustments needed to improve resilience for businesses in the face of new market realities.