Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021
306. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of the Brexit adjustment reserve allocated to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; the way he plans to allocate this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52430/21]
View answerIreland is to receive almost €1.1 billion from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, or BAR. This represents just over 20% of the total Reserve and is the largest allocation for any Member State.
The aim of the BAR is to provide financial support to the most affected Member States, regions and sectors to deal with the adverse consequences of Brexit.
The Government will use this funding to help counter the economic and social impact of Brexit in areas such as enterprise supports; supports for the fisheries and agri-food sectors; reskilling and retraining; and checks and controls at our ports and airports.
To qualify for BAR funding, expenditure must be incurred between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2023. It will need to meet stringent EU funding requirements, and demonstrate the negative impact of Brexit.
Given these requirements, BAR funding will be allocated in tranches when the eligibility requirements have been subject to a full assessment. These allocations will be made across 2022 and 2023 in Revised Estimates, or Supplementary Estimates, as appropriate.
This approach is intended to allow flexibility around the allocation of funding as the impacts of Brexit on different sectors become clearer.
