Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With regard to Brexit planning, it is accepted that certain sectors are more exposed than others, with tourism and agriculture or agrifood probably being most exposed.

They are big employers in rural communities, particularly in the west and north west. Reports from Ernst & Young last week suggest rural communities could go into a type of recession, while there is a report today from the Central Bank that one third of small farms could go out of business in the event of a no-deal Brexit. These communities and sectors will need considerable immediate support in that event. There are also reports that in the tourism sector we could be facing up to 10,000 job losses and in the agrifood sector, perhaps 12,500 jobs. There is real concern about this in rural communities because in many communities these are the two biggest employers and there is no alternative source of work. Will specific supports be provided for in the budget for the tourism and agrifood sectors that would be put in place immediately, rather than adopt a wait and see approach to see how bad things are and then borrow money?