Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2023
255. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will provide a full list of the cost of projects being considered for inclusion in Ireland's Brexit adjustment reserve, BAR, claim to the EU Commission in September 2024, which is estimated to amount to €0.7 billion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31316/23]
View answerThe European Union’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR), provides support to counter the adverse economic, social, territorial and, environmental consequences of the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union.
The application for BAR funding must set out the negative impacts of the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union and how the measures carried out under the Fund alleviate the adverse consequences. The Government has therefore, over a series of budgets, allocated BAR funding across a number of impacted sectors in order to mitigate those adverse effects of Brexit and to adapt to regulatory changes.
Following agreement to transfer €150 million to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Ireland’s allocation from the reserve will be €1.015 billion. This transfer is to be made from Ireland’s overall BAR allocation. Ireland’s allocation now represents approximately 30% of the overall BAR fund, following transfers by other Member States to their National Recovery and Resilience Plans.
The Government has made significant allocations across a range of sectors, both before and during the 4-year BAR period. In order to be eligible for BAR funding, the expenditure must fall within the BAR eligibility period for expenditure runs from the 1st of January 2020 to the 31st of December 2023.
Following the BAR Regulation coming into force in October 2021, specific funding of €389 million was provided in Budgets 2022 and 2023 across a number of sectors. This was allocated as follows.
|
Department |
€m |
|
Agriculture |
271 |
|
Enterprise |
15 |
|
Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science |
37.3 |
|
Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform |
4.4 |
|
Foreign Affairs |
2.2 |
|
Tourism Culture Arts Gaeltacht Sports and Media |
7.75 |
|
Environment Climate and Communications |
24 |
|
Health |
5.5 |
|
Justice |
21.5 |
|
Transport |
0.1 |
|
Total |
389 |
Further funding can also be considered for allocation over the remainder of 2023. This would include consideration of funding in relation to permanent infrastructure at Rosslare port required for customs and SPS checks.
Officials in my Department are currently engaging in a review exercise of Brexit related spending, from the 1st of January 2020 to the end of December 2023, for possible inclusion in Ireland’s BAR claim to the EU Commission in September 2024. This involves engaging with Departments on spending since 2020 outside of that allocated under Budgets 2022 and 2023 which may qualify for inclusion in the BAR claim. A figure of approximately €0.7 billion has been identified in this regard. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; and Revenue are likely to account for a significant amount of that €0.7 billion figure. It should be noted that, in addition to all of the above, the Government also provided significant funding to prepare for Brexit prior to the BAR eligibility period.
The exact makeup of Ireland's BAR claim will not be decided until the claim is submitted in September 2024. My Department continues to review and assess all spending identified as Brexit-related for inclusion in the final BAR claim. Because this work is ongoing, and because further funding can be considered for allocation during the remaining months of 2023, it is not possible at this time to confirm final amounts of expenditure in any sector.
