Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 31 March 2022
170. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding allocated to his Department from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve in 2022; and the areas to which his Department has allocated this funding. [16817/22]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) provides financial support to the most affected Member States, regions and sectors to deal with the adverse consequences of Brexit.
To qualify for funding, expenditure must be incurred between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2023, and demonstrate a direct link to the negative impact of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU. Failure to do so will see the European Commission deem expenditure ineligible.
Funding under the BAR is aligned with the annual Estimates process. In 2022, €40m has been allocated for Brexit related purposes for the fisheries sector (€32m), the horticultural sector (€1m), and €7 million has been provided to fund an Enterprise Ireland capital investment scheme for meat and dairy processing.
The latter scheme will support investments aimed at product and market diversification. It is jointly funded by my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
It is expected that the €40m of funding as outlined, will come from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.
I and my Department continue to engage with DPER on a number of Brexit related issues to examine which impacts of Brexit would require further supports which can be funded from BAR and I anticipate that my Department will receive further funding targeted at impacts from Brexit during 2022.
