Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The points made by the Deputy are well understood and being acted on by the Government in all the work it is doing in preparation for Brexit. Everyone has to agree that it is a testament to those efforts that our priorities are so clearly reflected in the European Union's approach and have been stated in the guidelines. Our priorities have been highlighted in all of our discussions and in all of the bilateral work done by our embassies abroad, ambassadors and each individual Minister, including the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. It is accepted that these priorities need to be protected as we move forward. The Government's intention is to intensify its efforts and focus on the economic implications of Brexit. Obviously, this is not where we want to be. We do not welcome the decision taken by the United Kingdom. We want to mitigate as much as possible in the Irish context the serious consequences it will have. We will focus on the economic implications of Brexit because we want to reinforce the ongoing competitiveness of the economy and protect it from the negative impact of Brexit. We will pursue every possible opportunity to ensure that will happen.

A further paper on the economic implications of the Brexit challenge is being prepared by the Government. It will draw on all of the work done across Departments and reflect the core economic themes outlined by the Taoiseach and others. We need sustainable fiscal policies that will ensure we will have the capacity to absorb and respond to economic shocks, not least from Brexit. We must have policies to make Irish enterprise more diverse and resilient, to diversify trade and investment patterns and to strengthen competitiveness. All of the Government's recent actions and decisions have been taken in support of these goals. Priority is being given to policy measures that dedicate resources to protect jobs and businesses in the sectors and regions that will be most affected by Brexit. As I said, we must take the economic opportunities arising from Brexit and help businesses to adjust to new logistical or trade barriers. All of these issues are priorities. The Deputy mentioned an announcement made by a UK retailer, the Co-op. It is important to note that the Co-op chain in Britain is not currently a customer of Irish meat exporters. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed; the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Bord Bia are very conscious of the need to ensure ongoing engagement with customers of Irish products in the United Kingdom. That engagement is continuing at the highest levels.

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