Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 December 2021
79. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the initiatives that are being taken to assist agri-food businesses deal with the effect of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60789/21]
View answerAs a result of the UK no longer being in the EU Single Market and Customs Union, the trading environment for Irish businesses, including agri-food businesses, has changed significantly. The Government, and my Department in particular, has been working in close collaboration with the sector to prepare for these changes.
There has been extensive investment in developing the systems and infrastructure needed to support the sector in meeting new import and export requirements which apply to trade with UK since 1 January 2021. This work continues and is now focused on new UK controls which will be applied to Irish exports in 2022.
In addition to these preparations the Government has provided access to a range of financial support measures to assist businesses in adapting to Brexit challenges.
Most recently, on 15 October, along with Government colleagues, I launched the Brexit Impact Loan Scheme, which makes up to €330 million in lending available to eligible businesses in Ireland, including farmers and the seafood sector. Earlier this year, a €14 million Capital Investment Scheme was made available to support the food processing industry, and the Government has, of course, continued to provide additional funding to Bord Bia over successive budgets in recent years to assist the industry in pursuing market diversification opportunities.
These support measures, and the significant investment in preparing for the changes to the UK-EU trading environment, clearly demonstrate the Government's commitment to support the agri-food sector in adapting to the effects of Brexit and to support the sector's ambition to grow despite the challenges associated with Brexit.
