Dáil debates

Wednesday, 21 November 2018

7:40 pm

Photo of Michael CollinsMichael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. My Rural Independent Alliance colleague, Deputy Harty, made a valid point earlier this year when he pointed out that the Government is dedicating a lot of time to preventing the impact of Brexit from causing damage. Deputy Harty was right when he said closing the post offices in rural areas is like encouraging an "internal Brexit". I could not agree more with him on that point. In my local constituency area in the past two years alone I have seen the closure of post offices, schools, pubs, shops, butchers, cafes, restaurants, hairdressers, petrol stations and an insurance office in Bantry. Even today the blood pressure clinic in Bantry closed.

In addition we have seen the continued closure of Garda stations such as the Garda station in Ballinspittle. Those are all vital services for rural communities, and without them we are seeing a very serious situation develop in rural areas where towns and villages are literally dying before our eyes. As Deputy Harty says, he would equate that to an internal Brexit where there is a detrimental effect in rural areas similar to the damage a hard Brexit would wreak nationally. The Government must put measures in place to protect Ireland from Brexit, but it must also take urgent action to protect and restore rural Ireland to its former glory.

I am very concerned about the cross-border directive if Brexit comes about. This directive is very important to people in this country as it allows those who are on long waiting lists for health procedures to travel to Belfast and have the procedure carried out without having to endure the long waiting times. To date, Deputy Danny Healy-Rae and I have sent 17 buses to Belfast with people who have availed of cataract procedures through the cross-border directive. Those people could have been waiting for anything up to five years if they were not able to avail of the directive. During the Brexit negotiations we must ensure that the cross-border directive is protected with Northern Ireland and Britain.

There are two Ministers in the House. Could one of them assure me that they have been discussing such issues in the negotiations? If so, it is time to be clear on what will happen with the cross-border directive and other issues that are very serious concerns. Many people are seriously alarmed that such reciprocal arrangements could end, perhaps in March. Will they end or are there negotiations to continue the arrangements during a cooling-off period? It is time for the Government to clarify the position. Negotiations are taking place and we need to be aware of what is going on.

Brexit will have many implications for Ireland, some of which we can predict and others which we cannot, but one thing is for sure, there will be a lot of challenges ahead for Ireland. It is vital during the Brexit negotiations that we steer through these waters with a clear vision of what Brexit will mean to Ireland. We need to pay particular attention to the agriculture sector. In June the Taoiseach announced the Government's proposal to hire 1,000 new customs officers and veterinary inspectors as part of Ireland's Brexit preparation. The concern is that this could be negative in the event of a reduced availability of farmed animal veterinary services, as it would draw vets away for State work. The chief executive of Veterinary Ireland suggested that some of this work could be opened up to private veterinary practitioners in a similar way to how work is carried out in meat factories, where part-time, temporary veterinary inspectors successfully assist official veterinarians. The Government needs to look at the suggestions. Ministers cannot afford to put their heads in the sand on this matter.

The Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, needs to be protected post-Brexit. We must examine that now and put provisions in place. Ireland is very much dependent on agricultural exports. The food industry is the most exposed sector of the economy to Brexit, especially subsectors such as processed foods, beef and dairy. Ireland exports almost 70% of its agricultural produce to Britain. The report carried out by Copenhagen Economics for the Government estimates that the UK's departure from the European Union will cause the value of output from these key parts of the agrifood sector to fall between 10% and 20% by 2030. The sector currently employs 175,000 people and that could mean 17,000 fewer jobs or more than 30,000 fewer jobs in the event of a hard Brexit. It is vital during the Brexit negotiations that our agricultural produce being exported to Britain is protected.

In addition to the agricultural exports, we need to protect all our export markets. We must maintain strong and competitive transport links with the rest of the EU in order to secure Ireland's economic future. Two thirds of Irish exporters use the UK landbridge to access Europe and Brexit is going to have a significant effect on Ireland's ability to use that route for exports. We must consider negotiating transport routes now.

Coming from west Cork I know only too well how much fishermen have suffered during very difficult times. In recent years, Irish fishermen hoped for a brighter future after battling through the recession, but Brexit puts them in uncharted waters. On average, it is estimated that approximately 36% of Irish landings are taken from UK waters. Irish fishermen face losing access to lucrative UK fishing grounds currently in EU waters and may have problems transporting their catch. From speaking to local fishermen I know they feel the industry has had a raw deal and they do not trust the Government to deliver. It is vital that we protect the livelihood of fishermen as there is a serious danger of increased numbers of European boats fishing in Irish waters post-Brexit. I ask the Minister to give a clear answer as to what will happen if European trawlers are dismissed from UK waters. Has the Government considered the issue or is the fishing industry going to play second fiddle yet again? Only yesterday Spain got the all-clear from Europe for 5,559 tonnes of bluefin tuna quota. No matter how good Patrick Murphy, the CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, is at fighting for fishermen, if the Government does not have its eye on the ball the future of fishermen after Brexit looks very bleak. I spoke to an inshore fisherman in Schull this evening. He outlined to me the difficulties they face even prior to Brexit never mind what could happen after it. That is quite scary.

Neither can we forget about the effect Brexit will have on ports and the export market. In my constituency we have ports such as Bantry Bay, Castletown Berehaven and Kinsale. Their futures need to be secured. I plead with the Government to support those ports through the uncertain times that lie ahead with Brexit on the horizon.

We must also ensure the future of Irish citizens living in the UK as a matter of urgency. No Irish citizen living in the UK should have to live in fear. We must further ensure that during Brexit negotiations there will be freedom of movement between us and our neighbours. In addition, during the Brexit negotiations we must consider what will happen to Irish students studying in the UK. This a great worry for many of them. Overall, it is clear that Brexit will have a significant effect on Ireland and we need to step up to the challenges that lie ahead for the country and put the provisions in place to deal with the challenges.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.