Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With respect, I understand that the Chair is chairing the meeting but it is my question. It is more of a statement. This is part of the conversation happening in this member state. We must learn lessons from Brexit. We should not take the sentiment among citizens of member states, or how they view the European Union, its reach and the changes it proposes, for granted. While we might rubbish those suggestions, this is a concern, whether reasonable or not. We should never disregard those concerns because they can take root and cause problems further down the line. We have learned a very important lesson from the Brexit process here in Ireland: not to disregard the concerns of citizens. It is something to bear in mind as we move forward and discuss those issues as a Union and as a community. This is an area of particular concern for Ireland and would be quite contentious if it was to progress in the manner that some member states would like it to. I would like to put that on the record.

I know Mr. Martínez Mongay has been asked this question by other members of the committee. We have been pressing our own Government to answer questions about the discussion happening at Commission level about the financial aid that would be available to Ireland in the event of a no-deal hard Brexit. I share Deputy Boyd Barrett's surprise that the report on Ireland is based on the continuation of the status quo. We are in the Brexit bubble and it is part of our daily discussions, and the hope of maintaining the status quo is dwindling. In that context, the report may not stand the test of time. Things could change in the next several weeks. They are changing almost on an hourly basis. We in Ireland will be looking to the European Union and the Commission for support if things go badly. Reports came today of the tariff regime the UK is planning to impose in the event of a no-deal Brexit. If that comes to pass, our agriculture, agri-food and beef sectors will be decimated in a matter of weeks. We are really worried. I would like to ask the Commission what financial aid will be available to us the day after it happens, if it happens.