Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Another potential impact is divergence of animal health and phytosanitary regulations, which are very important in terms of co-ordination and co-operation on animal health between Ireland and Northern Ireland and between Ireland and the European Union.

I ask the Minister also to consider the subject of energy supply. The cost of energy would loom large in the event of Brexit because Ireland imports 89% of its oil and 93% of its gas requirements from the United Kingdom, and in Ireland the agriculture sector spends approximately €500 million per year on energy. Would this not inevitably lead to increased production costs, which in turn would reduce our competitiveness? This would be a huge issue.

In the event of Brexit, Ireland would also lose an important ally in the European context for arguing its case. The Minister is correct in stating that 37% of the budget is devoted to the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. As Britain is a net contributor, this is likely to have a significant negative impact on future spending on the CAP, particularly from 2021 onwards. This will be the kernel of the issue that people may not realise.

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