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Brexit Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 October 2018

Thursday, 4 October 2018

Ceisteanna (7, 21)

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

7. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of Brexit negotiations, particularly in the context of the Border region, including counties Cavan and Monaghan, and the possible reintroduction of a hard border. [40116/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

21. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a travel plan has been commenced in order to be prepared for the possible reintroduction of a hard border due to Brexit. [40117/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)

I ask the Tánaiste to outline the status of the Brexit negotiations with a particular focus on the Border counties of Cavan and Monaghan in view of the possible reintroduction of a hard border.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 21 together.

As Deputy Smyth knows, the Government is absolutely committed to protecting Border communities through Brexit. Tomorrow Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork will see the start of a very significant Brexit roadshow involving all of the relevant State agencies. Stakeholders, including small businesses and business networks, have been invited to engage with State agencies and with me to get a better understanding of where the negotiations are at, where they are likely to go and what support, guidance and advice is available to them. We will be moving from Cork to Galway next week and from there to Monaghan, followed by Dublin. We may go to other cities including Limerick and Waterford at a later date. There will be a significant ratcheting up of communication and support linked to that communication for businesses in the coming weeks. There will also be a significant intensification of the negotiations to try to get a withdrawal treaty agreed and settled which will give us a two year transition period. That will give time and space to people and will provide certainty around citizen rights, the financial settlement issues and, of course, the Irish issues including protecting the Good Friday Agreement and ensuring that no border infrastructure re-emerges. The latter would have a very significant impact on many of Deputy Smyth's constituents. As I have said over and again, the Taoiseach and I will never sign up to a withdrawal treaty that does not deal comprehensively with the Irish Border issue.

I welcome the fact the Tánaiste and various Government agencies will be coming to County Monaghan and the Border region. I hope that business people take the opportunity to engage with the roadshow, particularly as there has been a very low take up of the small grant that is available to businesses for Brexit proofing. That is something that we need to promote further.

The Conservative Party conference this week saw the British Prime Minister double down on her Chequers proposals. The Taoiseach is meeting the European Commission today in Brussels to discuss the Brexit talks. As the Tánaiste knows, a hard Brexit would have a profoundly negative effect on the Border region, including counties Cavan and Monaghan. Indeed, we have seen the disastrous impact of the Brexit vote on business and industry in the region already. The mushroom industry has been blown out of the water and many agrifood businesses are dealing with huge uncertainty. We are seeing a huge loss of confidence in a region that has a high number of indigenous businesses. I ask that the Government engages in positive discrimination and focuses on the Border counties that are at the coal face.

Deputy Smyth will not be surprised to hear that the pre-registration figures for the so-called Brexpo events indicate that Monaghan is already ahead of Cork, Galway and Dublin. The event in Cork takes place tomorrow and huge numbers of people will be attending. I have been to the Border region on numerous occasions, trying to provide as much clarity as I can on where the negotiations are going and how we are going to protect Border communities and businesses. That work will continue.

What Ireland needs to do over the coming weeks is hold its nerve and trust in the negotiation process. Further, we must trust that the commitments that have been made to Ireland by the British Government can be followed through on in the context of an agreed and settled legal text in the withdrawal treaty that will protect the Good Friday Agreement and ensure that there is an insurance mechanism in place so that we will never have border infrastructure on our island again. We do not want to have to use that insurance mechanism and want the future relationship discussions to solve that problem comprehensively. However, people want that backstop in place to provide the reassurance that is needed. Hopefully we will be able to finalise that in the next few weeks.

On the basis of his talks with the British, when does the Tánaiste expect a more detailed set of proposals? What is his assessment of the viability of the backstop agreement going into these talks? As I have said, potentially Cavan and Monaghan will be hit hardest should there be a hard Brexit. At the risk of repeating myself, we have already seen the negative repercussions of Brexit in the area.

In the context of the roadshows to be held in Cork, Galway, Monaghan and Dublin, I point out that business people, by virtue of being self-employed, are extremely busy. There are never enough hours in the day for them. They do not work from nine to five but are on call 24 hours a day. I am delighted to hear that the pre-registration figures for Monaghan are the highest and suggest that there may be a need for more than one event there. It is important to engage with the business community and to make the relevant information readily accessible to people. I reiterate the point that the Border counties need positive discrimination in the context of Brexit.

Lest there be any confusion, these big, high-profile roadshows are not the full extent of what is happening in terms of Brexit preparations. Enterprise Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Bord Bia and local enterprise offices, LEOs, have been having advisory meetings on Brexit for months. Dozens of such meetings have happened across the country, including in the Border region. In August and September alone there were approximately 38 different meetings in various parts of the country, linked to Brexit advisory services and support.

Much of this work is taking place on the ground as we speak. Many chambers of commerce are also very engaged in this process, as are business associations in terms of their membership. We are raising the profile of these engagements to make sure SMEs that have not yet engaged are sparked into coming along. There is significant support available for companies. What we do not yet have is complete clarity on what the future looks like. This is why contingency planning is necessary while the negotiations continue. We will give as much information and support as we can and this will continue in the coming weeks.

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