Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Not endless, but substantial. We have put loans in place, as well as hosting seminars and producing information. That process is ongoing.

I am not sure where the figure of €200 million comes from. Neither the Tánaiste nor I are familiar with such a limit, but we believe the Deputy might be referring to the rescue and restructure element of it, which is only one element of the package in place to support business. That element was increased by the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, from €20 million to €200 million in the last while. That is a particular instrument where money can be provided to a business to rescue it if necessary and to fund restructuring so that it can change the way it does its business to ensure its survival. That is a particular instrument for particular types of businesses and mainly involves exporters not involved in the agrifood sector.

There are different supports in place for the agrifood sector, including farmers, fishermen and primary producers for the wider industry. Those supports are provided by the Common Agricultural Policy and the CMO regulation. We will require sums very far north of €200 million to support incomes and save jobs in the agrifood sector. I said at the weekend that if we end up in a no-deal Brexit scenario, no amount of Government intervention or State support will make it all okay. I meant that. It will still be bad. However, we can mitigate the damage substantially by protecting incomes and protecting jobs in the first phase, and in the second phase by providing funding to restructure industry to produce new products, provide new services and to orientate to new markets where it is viable to do so.

See this speech in context