Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

8 o’clock

I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the House on this very important issue. As Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Brexit will have an impact on a number of sectors and areas within my remit. Its impact on rural areas is of course of particular concern, but the UK’s decision to leave the EU will also have an impact on the arts and cultural sectors. My Department, like all other key Departments, has been engaging with sectoral interests under our remit to ensure the Government is well prepared to anticipate key issues.

I hosted a sectoral dialogue on Brexit in Cavan on 6 February, which was attended by more than 100 stakeholders from across the arts, culture, film, heritage, Irish language, regional and rural affairs sectors. The actions set out in Realising our Rural Potential, the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development launched in January, will assist in supporting rural communities, including those in Border areas, to meet the challenges posed by Brexit and to position themselves to avail of the opportunities which may also arise. The plan sets out a number of actions which will address the effects of Brexit in particular. For example, a specific piece of research will be commissioned on the impact of Brexit on rural areas, particularly rural areas in the Border region. InterTradeIreland will also fund the development of a programme of initiatives to increase the awareness and capacity of SMEs to deal with the practical consequences of Brexit for cross-Border trade. I am confident that my Department’s preparations for Brexit are comprehensive and will assist in ensuring rural communities and businesses are equipped as best as they can be to deal with the issues which will arise.

The Irish Government has been preparing for Brexit for a long time - months before the UK actually took that fateful decision last May to leave the European Union. Our concerns and priorities have been well flagged and they are well understood. As we move into the next phase, the finalisation of the EU negotiating guidelines, we will continue to pursue our priorities and ensure they are clear to all EU member states. Entering this phase marks the beginning of a long and complicated process. We will no doubt encounter roadblocks along the way, but it is important we remain calm and patient as the Government continues to seek the best deal for Irish citizens.

It is also important we communicate the benefits of our own EU membership. Ireland has benefited exponentially since we joined the EEC in 1972. It is worth specifically mentioning that Irish women have benefited significantly from our EU membership. Let us not forget that it was EU legislation that led to the abolition of the marriage bar for women in public service jobs in 1973. We have also benefited from enhanced workplace legislation, such as measures on equal pay, which I suspect might not have been given priority in the Ireland of the 1970s and 1980s were it not for the EU’s influence. Irish people are broadly supportive of our EU membership, but we should not take that for granted. Misinformation and scaremongering played a large part in the campaign strategy of pro-Brexit parties in the UK; therefore, it is important that we, as elected representatives, impart factual information to the Irish public on the benefits of EU membership.

I was pleased, therefore, to see my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, launch a website today which will publicise the positive impact of European structural and investment funds in Ireland. Over the 2014 to 2020 programming period, EU structural and investment funds will be used, together with Irish Government and local authority funding, to invest €6.2 billion in Ireland.

As a Minister from a Border constituency, I have considerable concerns about the impact of Brexit on those communities living close to the Border. Those of us who have lived on or near the Border all our lives know that Border communities have faced more than their fair share of challenges. Brexit presents one of the great challenges to date, but that does not mean it will not also bring opportunities. The Government’s position is clear. We want the closest possible trading relationship with the UK and, in particular, for trade between the North and the South. A key priority is to ensure the continued free flow of trade on the island and the need to avoid a hard border. The British and Irish Governments agree that they do not want to see the imposition of a hard border on the island of Ireland. It is my view that the cross-Border bodies are more important than ever and could provide a framework for post-Brexit relations, North and South. Investment in projects which will benefit both sides of the Border should be given priority by the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Through my Department, I am supporting the restoration of the Ulster Canal which criss-crosses the Border from Belturbet in County Cavan, through Northern Ireland and on to Clones. I also believe there is a significant opportunity to develop a specific tourism offering in the Border areas. We need to be innovative and ambitious as we plan for a post-Brexit era in the Border region.

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