Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 January 2019
140. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of meetings she has attended since the beginning of September 2018 with her officials to discuss and prepare for Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3590/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department and its offices and agencies continue to work intensively on a cross-government basis to help prepare businesses for all Brexit scenarios, including a No Deal Brexit.
Along with my Ministerial colleagues, Pat Breen and John Halligan, I am actively involved in the contingency work on Brexit preparedness that has been ongoing since the UK decision to leave the EU in 2016.
Work on Brexit involves working closely with the offices, enterprise and regulatory agencies of my Department that are centrally involved in supporting Irish businesses to prepare for all Brexit scenarios, including a No Deal Brexit.
On a regular basis, I chair meetings involving the offices and agencies of my Department to hear about their level of Brexit preparedness and issues arising. Separately, I chair an Enterprise Forum consisting of the main business representative bodies to hear directly from them the issues that their members are facing. The enterprise and regulatory supports that I have put in place are informed by what I hear at these meetings.
I have also, through the Retail consultation Forum which I chair, stepped up engagement with key players in the grocery retail and distribution sector to hear directly from them on their level of preparedness for Brexit and I intend to continue close engagement with this sector.
My agencies have been actively involved in the outreach workshops on Brexit in the context of the Government campaign "Getting Ireland Brexit Ready" and have separately organised events around the country to heighten awareness of the suite of supports that are available to companies to assist them in their Brexit preparations.
Since the UK’s decision to leave the EU in 2016, I have ensured that my Department’s response to the challenges presented by Brexit in the three budgets in 2017, 2018 and 2019 has been stepped up to ensure an adequate level of resourcing to assist the enterprise and regulatory agencies support firms in their preparations for Brexit.
The following table sets out Ministerial meetings with officials as well as external meetings and events attended by Ministers from September 2018 to date on Brexit-related matters.
In addition to this I would point out that Brexit is a standing agenda item on regular internal meetings including meetings of the Management Board and other meetings.
|
Minister |
Date of Meeting |
Area of Department |
Context/Purpose of meeting |
|
Minister Humphreys |
13/09/18 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division |
Briefing on Brexit research |
|
Minister Humphreys |
20/09/18 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division/ EU Affairs and Trade |
‘Getting Ireland Brexit Ready’ Launch event |
|
Minister Humphreys |
20/09/18 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division |
*Retail Consultation Forum |
|
Minister Halligan |
27/09/18 |
Innovation and Investment Division |
*Pre-briefing in advance of Formal COMPET Research Council Meeting |
|
Minister Humphreys |
03/10/18 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Enterprise Forum on Brexit and Global Challenges, including pre-briefing |
|
Minister Humphreys |
03/10/18 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Co-ordination group on Brexit, including pre-briefing |
|
Minister Humphreys |
04/10/18 – 05/10/18 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
*Informal Trade Council, including pre-briefing |
|
Minister Humphreys |
09/10/18 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Brexit Press Conference |
|
Minister Humphreys |
17/10/18 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division |
*Enterprise Ireland International Markets Week |
|
Minister Humphreys |
19/10/18 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Intertrade Ireland Breakfast Event |
|
Minister Humphreys |
19/10/18 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Getting Ireland Brexit Ready Event |
|
Minister Humphreys |
24/10/18 |
Commerce, Consumer and Competition Division |
IAASA Brexit event (Dublin) |
|
Minister Humphreys |
25/10/18 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Getting Ireland Brexit Ready Event (Dublin) |
|
Minister Humphreys |
12/11/18 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division |
Minister’s engagement on an EI Brexit related Business Event in Cavan |
|
Minister Humphreys |
22/11/18 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division |
*Retail Consultation Forum |
|
Minister Humphreys |
22/11/18 |
Strategic Policy Division |
*Future Jobs 2019 Summit |
|
Minister Breen |
23/11/18 |
DBEI agencies/DFAT |
Brexit preparedness event in Limerick (Tánaiste was present) |
|
Minister Humphreys |
29/11/18 |
Strategic Policy Division |
*Competitiveness Council, including pre-briefing |
|
Minister Halligan |
29/11/18 |
Innovation and Investment Division |
*Pre -briefing in advance of Formal COMPET Research Council Meeting |
|
Minister Humphreys |
03/12/18 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division |
*Regional Enterprise Development Fund Announcement |
|
Minister Humphreys |
12/12/18 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Brexit Coordination Group including pre-briefing |
|
Minister Halligan |
12/12/18 |
Strategic Policy Division |
Meeting with Freight Transport Association re: Brexit-related skills needs |
|
Minister Humphreys |
13/12/18 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Enterprise Forum Meeting including pre-briefing |
|
Minister Humphreys |
13/12/18 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division/ EU Affairs and Trade |
Getting Brexit Ready meeting with Retailers/Distributors |
|
Minister Humphreys |
19/12/18 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Briefing for Ministers on contingency plan for a no-deal Brexit |
|
Minister Humphreys |
03/01/19 |
Innovation and Investment Division |
*Minister briefed on IDA End of Year Results in advance of release; pre-briefing on IDA Annual Conference |
|
Minister Humphreys |
09/01/19 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division |
*Minister briefed in advance of release of Enterprise Ireland End of Year Results |
|
Minister Humphreys |
17/01/19 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Statements re: Government’s Brexit Preparedness |
|
Minister Humphreys |
17/01/19 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division / EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Minister briefed on developing Enterprise Supports |
|
Minister Breen |
17/01/19 |
[briefing from Department of the Taoiseach] |
Inter-Departmental Committee on Digital Issues (Brexit - data flow issues for Public Services) |
|
Minister Humphreys and Minister Breen |
23/01/19 |
EU Affairs and Trade Division |
Brexit Coordination Group including pre-briefing |
|
Minister Humphreys |
24/01/19 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division |
Getting Brexit Ready meeting with Retailers/Distributors |
|
Minister Humphreys |
24/01/19 |
Indigenous Enterprise Division |
Meeting with Commissioner Vestager (Brexit-related) |
* While these meetings were primarily focused on other issues, Brexit was also covered as an agenda item.
