Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----in the withdrawal treaty. The commitment is in place. That commitment is cast-iron and clear. The language does not lie. The commitment was followed up in March when the British Government agreed that not only would it agree to a backstop, but it would agree to a backstop being in the withdrawal agreement unless and until something better was agreed. The challenge now is to make that a reality in the context of the legal text of a withdrawal treaty that has legal effect. That is what we are trying to do.

Regarding the co-ordination of the whole-of-Government response to Brexit and the need to put contingency planning in place, contingency planning for a no-deal or worst-case outcome, bringing together the detailed work being undertaken by individual Ministers and their Departments on issues within their policy remits, is well advanced. It focuses on the immediate economic, regulatory and operational challenges that would result from such an outcome. It assumes a trading relationship based on the default WTO rules, while also examining the possible effects on many other areas of concern. This work is therefore providing baseline scenarios for the impact of Brexit across all sectors, which can be adapted as appropriate in light of developments in the EU-UK negotiations, including in regard to transition arrangements and the future relationship. This approach is also enabling the modelling of potential responses under different scenarios, such as one where a withdrawal agreement is concluded and a free trade agreement is the basis for the future relationship between the EU and the UK. It also takes account of the planning being undertaken at EU level by the Commission preparedness unit, which is issuing information notes aimed at different business sectors and examining legislative actions that may be needed at EU level.

However, the Government is already acting in order to get Ireland Brexit ready. Dedicated measures were announced in budget 2018, including a new €300 million Brexit loan scheme for businesses and a €25 million Brexit response loan scheme for the agrifood sector. Capital expenditure of €116 billion under Project Ireland 2040 will allow the State and its agencies to plan major infrastructure projects properly while ensuring that communities and businesses can plan ahead.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

There was also increased funding provided to my Department in budget 2018 for the opening of six new diplomatic missions. A further seven new missions will be opened as part of the next phase of expanding Ireland's global footprint. These 13 new missions will be located in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, North America and Oceania and will contribute to helping our exporters find new markets.

Our Government's enterprise agencies continue to work with companies, helping them to deal with Brexit by making them more competitive, diversifying market exposure and upskilling teams.

In total, 34 reports analysing the effects of Brexit across a broad range of sectors and, in some cases, setting out responses have been published to date by Departments. All of these reports are available on a dedicated Brexit web page on my Department's website.

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