Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 16 May 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach

Brexit - Recent Developments and Future Negotiations: Discussion

4:00 pm

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A new survey on jobs and trade by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation shows that 15 out of 20 Irish-owned companies surveyed believe that Brexit will damage them in some way. Despite that, only three in 20 companies have done anything about it and only five in 20 intend doing anything about it, which suggests a big skills gap. These are sophisticated businesses that live in the real world. If they know something is going to harm them yet most do not intend doing anything about it, it is not because they are stupid but because, I would imagine, they do not know what to do or do not have the resources or capability.

A report in the The Timespublished new European and UK data which show that 50% of EU companies using British supply chains are beginning to rewire their supply chains out of the UK. The report also shows that one in three UK firms with EU supply chains are rewiring their supply chains back into the UK. I know that both surveys cannot be compared perfectly, but they suggest that while Irish businesses are the most exposed to Brexit of the EU 27, they are certainly not ahead of the curve in preparing for it. We have two of the best State agencies in the world in the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, yet we are not seeing a response on the ground. I know that Enterprise Ireland is engaging with its clients. Based on conversations I have had, it would seem that some of the engagements are good but others are not.

While this is not a criticism of Enterprise Ireland, there has yet to be a national response on the ground. We will know there is a national response when we hear advertisements on the car radio saying, "If you've any exposure, come to your local office."

Mr. Callinan referred to a new strategy that he will be bringing out shortly. Will he give us a sense of the scale of the response the Government intends embarking on in having a direct engagement not just with the big 400 companies or EI clients, but also with every farmer and business that has any exposure to the UK and Brexit?

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