Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have read the terms of reference and all of the submissions. I thank the Chairperson for her patience.

As the Minister may know, the committee has received several submissions which are assisting us in our work. The British Irish Chamber of Commerce raises concerns in its submission that small traders are "ill-equipped" to deal with a "significant increase" in import-export declarations. The chamber is particularly concerned that smaller freight and haulage companies "do not have the required customs expertise to adhere to these potential new obligations". Will the Minister address those concerns?

In the budget for 2020, the Minister for Finance set aside €1.2 billion for a Brexit support fund. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has outlined some of the specifics of that funding today. Like me, the Minister is from a Border constituency where tourism and retail businesses, in particular, are feeling the hit from the uncertainty around Brexit, including currency fluctuations and the reduction in British tourist numbers. There is a real sense of crisis and urgency in the tourism sector in my county, despite the excellent work that has been done around the Wild Atlantic Way and other positive efforts to promote the area. Whether a deal is passed by Westminster or there is a no-deal scenario, does the Minister have any plans to release funding to assist struggling sectors right now?

We received a submission from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, which points out that the unions are not included in the Minister's trade and investment stakeholder group. Is this something she might consider correcting? We talk a great deal about preparing businesses for the challenges of Brexit but we must also prepare workers, who are facing upskilling and diversification challenges. ICTU is very much a relevant stakeholder in that regard and its submission asks that it be included in the process.