Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State and her officials are very welcome. As my colleagues have said, she is doing an excellent job in what she is trying to achieve for Ireland in the current difficult discussions. Depending on the week, we either feel we have something positive to work with regarding how Ireland will fare with the fast-approaching Brexit or we note that a different view seems to be presented regarding the island of Ireland and its trade with and through the United Kingdom.

I want to focus on one area, namely, trade in the SME sector. No matter what area one talks about in that sector, there are serious concerns, whether a business is in a Border county, entrenched in the South or in the North. I refer to trade directly with the United Kingdom and our exports via the United Kingdom. Brexit is fast approaching and looks like it will happen although many people in the United Kingdom, Ireland and many other countries hoped it would be reconsidered and put to the people again in a referendum, this time with them having true knowledge rather than being misled. It appears that, in some cases, people were definitely given information that has not turned out to be factual. What solid discussions are being had to deal with trade? A significant volume of our trade to the United Kingdom relates to the food business. There are many food companies in the constituency I represent, and many of them export to the United Kingdom. They are already affected because the current Brexit circumstances are affecting the currency. The cost cannot be passed on to the customers. The businesses are already being impacted negatively. They cannot go back to the customer to get an increase to cover the currency change that has occurred as a result of the current circumstances. The businesses are worried what will happen when Brexit arrangements are confirmed and put in place. They are also worried about exports that go through the United Kingdom. What discussions have been had on this with our European colleagues and the United Kingdom? How can certainty and consistency be achieved so there will not be a negative impact on our export business, including in the agriculture and food sectors, on which we rely so much?

Is there an avenue for additional funding to support the various Departments in seeking trade and other business in other European countries to compensate in the event of a loss of business with the United Kingdom as a result of Brexit? We do not want a loss of business; we want more business. If there were additional resources made available to find additional markets in Europe and if business between Ireland and the United Kingdom were sustained, it would only be positive from a trade perspective. Compensatory business options must be considered, however, in the event of Brexit having a negative impact, which it could well have.

As colleagues have said, there is serious concern over trade and business. We are so dependent on the export trade. I include our food business in this regard. The matter is serious. While there is a lot of talk, there is no real focus on solutions and outcomes. What is the Minister of State's position on that?