Peadar Tóibín
Question:377. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of the progress of the Get Brexit Ready campaign of his Department. [43549/20]
View answerTuesday, 11 May 2021
Questions (377)
Written answers
The Government dedicated substantial time and resources into preparing for Brexit over a number of years. This intensive effort across Departments and Agencies included the development of two Brexit Omnibus Acts; three Brexit Action Plans; substantial investment in the State’s infrastructure and IT systems (including provision for 1,500 additional staff to support new checks and controls); and the provision of financial, upskilling and advisory supports for impacted sectors and businesses. Throughout the Brexit process, our readiness work was always underpinned by a strong communications and outreach programme.
I have chaired 27 meetings of the Brexit Stakeholders Forum since 2017 and expect to host another meeting of the Forum in the coming weeks. I have also met with companies and representative groups from across all impacted sectors to better understand their concerns. Minister of State Byrne and I will continue to engage with the Commission and our EU partners in respect of issues raised by our traders such the operation of the UK Landbridge.
With the publication in September, 2020 of the Government’s most recent Brexit Readiness Action Plan, all Ministers and Departments further stepped-up their levels of engagement with stakeholders across the island. Our communications was strongly focused on "calls to action", and encouraging engagement and action on the part of business and citizens to prepare for the enduring changes arising in 2021.
The Get Brexit Ready campaign comprised of events, stakeholder briefings, and national and local advertising campaigns. We sought to enhance awareness among businesses and sectoral audiences of the challenges and changes arising at the end of the transition period, highlighted the steps the Government is taking to address these challenges and encouraged them to take necessary actions and avail of all relevant offers of support. Unlike earlier campaigns, COVID-19 restrictions prohibited us leveraging large gatherings or trade shows such as the Ploughing Championships. In response, we significantly increased our use of virtual communications platforms such as webinars and online instructional videos. Official websites and social media accounts were important tools and www.gov.ie/Brexit remains a trusted signposting website for businesses and citizens.
In partnership with GIS, Revenue and the Departments of Agriculture Food and the Marine, Enterprise Trade and Employment, Health and Transport, my Department oversaw the preparation of nationwide advertising campaign focused on the small businesses, including shops, hauliers, farmers, fishers and others who trade with the UK, who are most exposed. The campaign involved advertising across national television, radio, print, digital, and out of home channels, targeted at all adults, in particular business owners and decision makers. This overarching campaign was then supported by focused sectoral campaigns run by a number of other Government Departments.
However, the Government has always been clear that notwithstanding these extensive readiness preparations, and even with the Withdrawal Agreement, the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the very welcome conclusion of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, challenges would remain. A further wave of Brexit related change will arise later this year when the UK introduces new import controls.
The Government will continue to provide citizens, businesses and other stakeholders with the information and other supports they need to respond to the ongoing challenges of Brexit. Planning for an information campaign ahead of the introduction of the new UK controls is underway. Our digital outreach will continue to be an important channel of communication – a recent Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine webinar on 14 April attracted 282 attendees and there have been more than 1,000 additional views of the webinar since. As we move to a new phase of assisting businesses adapt to the permanent changes that Brexit has brought about, the new “Brexit Ready Ireland” brand will be used for to support our communications activities.