Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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I thank our guests for joining us this morning. Deputy Stanton highlighted the issues as being clarity, uncertainty about the supply chain, market access and pricing impacts. It is very hard to ask businesses anything when we say that they are not prepared for Brexit. We have to acknowledge that we do not know what Brexit will mean for many businesses. It is very hard to take a punt on investment when faced with complete uncertainty so I can understand the reticence of many businesses because Brexit is largely outside of their control. Ireland is largely an export-led economy so we worry about the future that Brexit will deliver.

Can the IBEC delegation explain why we are having difficulty with implementing additional export credit insurance and making it more widely available, particularly to smaller businesses? If not available, the businesses that did business with the UK will be forced to consider doing business outside of Ireland. Language is also a big issue.

Deputy Bruton said something about investment in other options and businesses trying to scope other options. I must point out that in the past number of years there has been continuous talk about the potential development of Rosslare Europort, which has not happened and there has not been significant investment. The latest talk is of a ferry service being provided by commercial concerns but not by Government. I cannot understand why we are still in that position but we are. We must consider the intent of the UK. There is a very large political intent that I am sure none of us here understands, and the EU is struggling with that.

I read an interesting statistic last night that the UK metal window and door industry is twice the size of the UK fishing industry and yet fishing has been held up as a hostage in the Brexit negotiations, which might tell us something.

Regarding the level playing field, I would have a concern about tax harmony in the EU in the future. We have seen moves again to discuss Ireland's corporate tax rate. That will be extremely important, particularly in light of a harder Brexit. Also, what the Border gentlemen referenced with respect to the telling statistic of under 25s unemployment and the possibility of some UK customs would be disastrous for the island of Ireland. As they rightly pointed out, it could cause an annexing of the whole Irish market and economy. We have major problems. None of us here has had a real input into Brexit. We will have to wait and see what is the shape of a deal or no-deal. Apart from Ms King's focus on short-time working, where are the opportunities in terms of a hard Brexit? Is there anything we should be proactively doing now to consider the worst case scenario and what can we do to protect the Irish economy as we go forward?