Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Irish Exporters Association made a submission to the Committee on Budgetary Oversight on the impact of Brexit on its members. The Minister will be aware that the total value of exports last year to this economy was €117 billion. The association has raised concerns regarding the threat posed by Brexit on our regional airports, including, for example, Ireland West Airport Knock, where flights from the UK currently account for 80% of air passenger traffic. Has the Minister met the regional airport stakeholders? The association also highlighted the need for the Department to seek a full derogation from the EU of state-aid supports to regional airports handling under 1 million passengers. I understand that the announcement made a number of weeks ago restricts that state-aid rule to airports with fewer than 200,000 passengers. Will the Minister consider that proposal?

The Minister referred to the Department's plans to shortly undertake a study of the UK land bridge but the consequences in this regard have been known for 12 months. Does the Minister realise that two thirds of Irish exports to mainland Europe travel via the land bridge? What plans are there to mitigate the impact of a hard Brexit and a British Government decision to impose tolls on their roads and thereby placing many obstacles in the way of the haulage industry? Based on what the Minister has had to say thus far, there are no such plans in place.