Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am a member of the Taoiseach's committee and attended a further meeting of it this morning along with the Minister of State in my Department, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. I anticipate that the committee will meet even more frequently in the coming weeks and months. At meetings of the committee, I am obliged to update the Taoiseach and other Ministers on work I am undertaking in respect of dealing with the consequences of Brexit. Deputy Broughan acknowledged the provisions in the budget to deal with the consequences of Brexit. These include funding we have put in place for the regional development plan, the rural development plan and agriculture. The decision on the 9% VAT rate was taken in the context of Brexit and the effect it might have on our tourism and services sector. I have also provided additional current funding to allow Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland to hire more people to work abroad and represent our companies. Those are measures we have put in place to deal with the consequences of Brexit.

On the need for a Brexit-focused Minister, I respectfully take a different view to the Deputy. This is a matter of such importance to the State that it is more appropriate that our approach to it be headed up by the Taoiseach. Other countries are taking a different approach and I am keeping on eye on that to see if it is working elsewhere. Mindful, however, of its importance, the only way it can be done is to have it headed up directly by the Department of the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach holds all Ministers to account for action steps to which we have committed in respect of dealing with Brexit.

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