Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The last thing we need to do is scaremonger business but at the same time we need to make sure there is access to information and that businesses are prepared for eventualities. There is one certain eventuality: on 29 March next year the UK will cease to be a member of the European Union. That is a certainty. What comes after that is grave uncertainty.

We have to support businesses by means of access to information, grant schemes and the scorecards. We must ensure that a sector by sector detailed analysis is done of the impact that various scales of Brexit could have. If the rules of the World Trade Organization, WTO, are reverted to in the event of a hard Brexit, for example, what impact would that have and what tariffs could be placed on Irish products entering the UK? I refer also to the softer, linear type of Brexit that might evolve during the discussions in the coming months in the context of what was announced at Chequers last Friday and what might transpire towards the end of the Council meeting in October or November. There is much work to be done and we are depending on the Minister, Deputy Humphreys.

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