Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We do not have quantitative analysis on that but we have spoken to the SFA, ISME and IBEC and have set up groups to make sure we find out that information, rather than not knowing exactly what is going on. We do know that there is pressure on agrifood, construction and timber exports into the UK, but the answer to the Deputy's question is that we do not know qualitatively exactly how people will respond.

We are working our way through it. We have had group meetings in Dublin, Cork, Athlone and Monaghan. These businesses have confirmed that Brexit is severely impacting on them. Exchange rate fluctuations pose real challenges for low margin exporting sectors, such as the ones I mentioned. Given that Brexit is likely to represent a structural shift in the UK trading relations with partners, short, medium and long term responses are needed. These include market diversification, cost reduction, adding value, innovation and price repositioning. We would be working with the companies through Enterprise Ireland and local enterprise offices, LEOs, for smaller businesses.

My Department and its agencies are putting in place measures to address these issues for client companies. Officials in the Department have been in contact with the European Commission regarding concerns about currency fluctuations. While sympathetic to Ireland's concerns, the Directorate General for Competition sees limited scope for a revised state aid framework being negotiated to address these issues. However, these discussions are by no means over, they are ongoing. As I have already said, in order for me as the Minister with responsibility for supporting businesses across the different sectors to develop an initiatives to support businesses that are impacted by Brexit, I need to understand their needs. We are working our way through that.