Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is very easy for Deputy Collins to talk about what businesses need, but we have carried out a tailored and targeted survey with more than 1,000 businesses, to which we had a 99% response. They had different requirements. Some of them want to be more competitive, others want help with currency fluctuation and still others want access to cheaper credit so it is not all about state aid rules.

I also wish to nail the assertion that we are not prepared. I outlined to the Deputy what is happening in the Department but we also report to the Brexit committee set up by the Taoiseach. Deputy Collins said there is a special Brexit unit in the UK. We have a special Brexit unit also that is chaired by the Taoiseach. A Secretary General is dedicated to Brexit and all 14 Departments are working together. Deputy Collins suggested a dedicated Minister would be the answer. He asked me who I had met and what I am doing with my counterparts in Europe. None of the other 27 countries has a Brexit Minister. If we had one, he or she would not have a corresponding Minister to meet.

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