Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Brexit Preparations

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 October 2019

Tuesday, 15 October 2019

Ceisteanna (76)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

76. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the contingencies being operated and supports that will be in place to safeguard farmers and the agrifood sector for all scenarios including a no-deal hard Brexit, including measures in budget 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41969/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I have introduced a number of supports to assist farmers and the agri-food sector in preparing to address the challenges posed by Brexit. These include most recently:

- the €300 million Brexit Loan Scheme for Brexit-impacted SMEs and mid-cap businesses whose funding arrangements ensure that at least 40% of the fund is available to food businesses. Up to 4 October 2019, 754 loans have been approved of which 199 to the value of €44.1m have been sanctioned. 36 of these, to the value of €9.29m relate to food businesses; and

- the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine/Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation “Future Growth Loan Scheme”, which will make up to €300 million of long-term strategic investment loans available to eligible Irish businesses, including farmers and the agri-food & seafood sectors. Businesses have been able to apply for loan eligibility through the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland since 17th April 2019. 1,364 loans have been approved, including 530 to farmers and 163 to food companies, up to 4 October 2019. The total number of loans progressed to sanction at bank level is 296 to the value of €50.1m.

In Budget 2020, the Government announced that it will provide a ‘no-deal’ contingency fund to support our most vulnerable sectors, with up to €650 million available overall, to be activated in tranches as the full impacts of Brexit emerge. €110 million will be made available for the agri-food sector in the first tranche, to be supplemented by any exceptional aid provided by the EU.

The provision of immediate supports for our beef sector will be a first priority, as will support for our fishing fleet. We also want to support food companies to re-orient towards new products and markets, and to support other sectors to improve their competitiveness.

While supports cannot fully address the negative effects of a no-deal Brexit for the agri-food and fisheries sectors, this first tranche of supports will be used to ameliorate the immediate impact on farmers and fishermen, as the full impact of a no-deal Brexit crystallises, and to make some of the adjustments needed to improve resilience for businesses in the face of new market realities.

Barr
Roinn