Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Brexit Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019

Tuesday, 15 January 2019

Ceisteanna (158)

Lisa Chambers

Ceist:

158. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of times the landbridge project group has met since it was established in October 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1133/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Government’s planning for Brexit has from the start included issues relating to the continued effective use of the UK landbridge. This is a priority for the Government, given the importance of the landbridge in getting Irish products, in particular agrifood products, to market on continental Europe. This is an important issue with regard to protecting the competitiveness of our producers and ensuring continued unhampered access to the EU Single Market.

The importance of maintaining the landbridge has been recognised and agreed through the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland in the draft Withdrawal Agreement which reaffirms the commitment of the UK to facilitate the efficient and timely transit through the UK of goods moving from Ireland to another EU Member State or another country, or vice versa.

To this end, I welcome the EU's agreement that the UK may join the Common Transit Convention upon its departure from the EU, and the number of formal steps taken to allow this to happen on 4 December 2018. The UK’s accession to the Common Travel Convention will play an important role in ensuring Ireland’s access to other EU Member States via the UK landbridge.

The second strand is our work with the European Commission and other affected Member States (Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden) with a view to preparing EU ports to facilitate the transit of EU products through the UK once it becomes a third country through the use of EU rules on internal transit set out under the Union’s Custom Code.

The Landbridge Project Group has been instrumental in ensuring progress has been made in both strands of work. It is chaired by my Department, and involves all relevant Government Departments, including the Department of Finance, the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Health, and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

The Landbridge Project Group has met four times to date in its full format, (9 October 2017, 15 November 2017, 24 May 2018, and 1 October 2018). The group is also operated by e-mail and therefore there is regular and ongoing contact among Members of the group.

In addition to the full meetings of the Project Group where officials from all relevant Departments are present, groups of Departments also meet in smaller formats to discuss specific landbridge issues, where appropriate. Members of the Project Group have also met with other relevant Member States and the European Commission to discuss the landbridge at a technical level.

Relevant Departments have also been tasked by the Government to roll out detailed Action Plans with a view to advancing, as appropriate, the mitigating measures which have been identified in the areas of their responsibility from the planning to the implementation phase. In line with this approach, the Government has already approved a number of key Brexit preparedness measures focused on East-West trade which will also take account of the continued use of the landbridge.

Barr
Roinn