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

To state the obvious, we are in a critical phase n the Article 50 negotiations which resumed on 16 August and have been continuous since. Following the informal European Council summit in Salzburg on 20 September, the President of the European Council, Mr. Donald Tusk, restated the European Union's position that there will be no withdrawal agreement without a solid, operational and legally binding Irish backstop. At the summit EU leaders reaffirmed their full support for Mr. Michel Barnier in his negotiations, including his efforts to "de-dramatise" the backstop which has become the most high profile issue that remains to be agreed as regards the withdrawal treaty.

Subsequently, on 21 September, the British Prime Minister, Mrs. Theresa May, stated the United Kingdom would bring forward its own proposals on the backstop. The Government welcomes this initiative and urges that it be done as a matter of urgency in order that the negotiating teams can engage constructively in finalising the legal text of the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. However, the European Union has been clear that this outcome must be fully consistent with the agreement reached in the joint progress report of last December, the agreement committed to last March and the clear commitments and guarantees that came with it provided by the United Kingdom.

It is important that there be substantial engagement on this issue by the European Council at its meeting on 18 October. At that meeting Ireland and its EU partners will then decide if conditions are sufficient to call an extraordinary summit - probably in the second week of November - to finalise and formalise the deal. Real progress on the backstop will be an essential part of that decision.

Regarding our domestic preparedness, the Government's contingency planning for Brexit was initiated well in advance of the UK referendum in June 2016. Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in June 2017, I have overseen a sustained intensification of these efforts. As part of them, the Government is organising the Getting Ireland Brexit Ready set of workshops around Ireland to inform and advise on Brexit preparedness. The Government has made a range of support measures and resources available to businesses. The first of the workshops will take place in Pairc Uí Chaoimh tomorrow.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Preparation and planning are ongoing across government to address a range of Brexit scenarios, including a no deal scenario. Departments and agencies continue to develop and implement, as appropriate, Brexit preparedness and contingency planning in their areas of responsibility. On 18 July and 18 September, I presented detailed memorandums to the Government on Brexit preparedness and contingency planning. The memorandums included elements aimed at moving from planning to implementation in a number of key areas, in particular, preparing ports and airports for Brexit. This is additional to the dedicated measures announced in budget 2018 aimed at supporting businesses to get Brexit ready.

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