Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 8 November 2016

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed)

4:30 pm

Mr. Neil McDonnell:

I will start with the companies that have identified the problem and they are in the medium bracket. My chairman will refer to the defensive measures they are considering but many medium businesses are actively planning to embed business in the UK and they will not discuss those arrangements publicly because of the effect on employees here. Unfortunately, a great many small and micro businesses do not know the extent to which they are embedded in the UK supply chain. As we discussed with our IEA colleagues before we came into the meeting, they will find out when they have an unpleasant negotiation with their customers. This, therefore, will only emerge over the next number of weeks and months.