Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Minister has acted on this issue. I highlighted it for her last week. I appreciate her initiative with ITI. I appreciate the work she has done to date and I do not want to criticise that; I am just concerned that businesses North and South have yet to realise the potential impact of Brexit. We need to make sure ITI is fully resourced to provide SMEs with the awareness and assistance they will need.

Recent ITI figures released yesterday in a press release by the Minister show that 98% of businesses surveyed in the North and South have no plan in place to deal with the consequences of Brexit. Therefore, the area clearly needs additional resources. In the Oireachtas last week, Mr. Michel Barnier said:

Customs controls are part of EU border management. They protect the Single Market, as well as our food safety and standards.

That implies a Border. How hard the Border will be remains to be seen.

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