I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 41 and 45 together.
The Government’s contingency planning for Brexit was initiated well in advance of the UK referendum in June 2016 and since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in June 2017 I have overseen a sustained intensification of these efforts.
Co-ordination of the whole-of-Government response to Brexit is being taken forward through the cross- Departmental coordination structures chaired by my Department, these include different meetings on a weekly and fortnightly basis as well as a range of ongoing meetings with individual Departments across the range of sectors. The Government remains focused on work in the negotiations to conclude a withdrawal agreement.
On 18 July I presented a detailed Memorandum to the Government on Brexit Preparedness and Contingency Planning. The Memorandum included elements aimed at moving from planning to implementation in a number of key areas and the Government requested detailed follow-up proposals, including in regard to the recruitment of customs officers and staff responsible for sanitary and phytosanitary checks.
Subsequently, at its meeting of 18 September the Government agreed key steps including the necessary recruitment for 2019 of customs officials and staff responsible for SPS and health checks that may be necessary at ports and airports on an East West basis.
On 19 July, the European Commission published a paper on Preparing for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 30 March 2019. The European Commission has offered guidance regarding potential consequences resulting from various Brexit scenarios, and where planning is focused on areas of exclusive EU or mixed competence, the role of the Commission will be of great importance and we continue to engage actively with the Commission on this work. This includes matters relating to aviation.
In areas of domestic action, the focus is on the necessary responses led by Government Departments and Agencies, as well as in areas where the preparedness response is driven primarily by stakeholders in individual sectors of the economy but with appropriate support from Government. Preparation and planning is ongoing across Government to address a range of Brexit scenarios, including a ‘no deal’ scenario, and Departments and agencies continue to develop and implement, as appropriate, Brexit preparedness and contingency planning in their areas of responsibility.
All of this work is in addition to measures that have already been put in place to get Ireland Brexit ready. Dedicated measures were announced in Budget 2018, including a new €300m Brexit Loan Scheme for Business and a €25m Brexit Response Loan Scheme for the agri-food sector. Capital expenditure of €116bn over the coming decade under Project Ireland 2040 will also allow the State and its agencies to properly plan major infrastructure projects while ensuring that communities and businesses can plan ahead. There was also increased funding provided to my Department in Budget 2018 for the opening of six new diplomatic missions. A further seven new Missions will be opened as part of the next phase of expanding Ireland’s global footprint. These thirteen new Missions will be located in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, North America, and Oceania and will contribute to helping our exporters find new markets.
Our Government’s enterprise agencies continue to work with companies, helping them to deal with Brexit – making them more competitive, diversifying market exposure, and up-skilling teams. In total 51 reports analysing the effects of Brexit across a broad range of sectors and in some cases setting out responses have been published to date by Government Departments. All these reports are available on a dedicated Brexit webpage on my Department’s website.
Detailed preparedness and contingency planning is being carried forward by Government Departments across the full range of sectors expected to be impacted by Brexit. In the case of aviation, preparation and planning includes future air connectivity with the UK following Brexit. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is preparing a Brexit Action Plan as well as continuing its contingency planning for a “no deal” UK exit from the EU.
It is also important that the aviation industry takes steps to prepare for Brexit and that industry stakeholders undertake contingency planning to minimise the impact of Brexit on their operations. Stakeholders should refer to the European Commission’s published Notices to Stakeholders in the field of air transport, aviation safety and aviation security.
There are ongoing consultations and meetings between my officials, other Government Departments and agencies, and other public and private key stakeholders in order to continue to plan for and mitigate the risks associated with Brexit across the range of sectoral areas.
