Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A number of issues were raised by Deputies who have left the Chamber, specifically Deputy Howlin with respect to the social agenda. It was not discussed at the European Council this weekend or last weekend but it is very much continuously on the agenda. We have 25 different initiatives currently in force. Moving on from the discussions that took place in Stockholm, the introduction of a European labour authority was part of that. A question was asked as to whether we are putting ourselves forward for that but we are not. Three countries, namely, Slovakia, Cyprus and Latvia, have already put themselves forward to seek that. Our opinion is that we should allow member states that do not have such an authority to seek to host this agency. We are engaging with them and we will make a decision on that as soon as we possibly can. On the question of whether we would support it and work with it, the answer to that is "Yes".

A number of people raised the issue of Fidesz, which was not necessarily on the agenda. Whether it is Fine Gael politically, myself individually, MEPs or others in this country, we have always been very clear that there have been decisions made and movements by the political party in Hungary with which we are not happy and do not agree. I have raised this numerous times, as have the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste at various meetings. The suspension was supported by our political party. Whether it is in terms of the Central European University, the implementation of new legislation which would directly have a negative impact, or whether it is with respect to voluntary or community groups or charitable organisations, we have raised all these issues as well as the impending Article 7 process, which is due to come before the General Affairs Council, at which I sit. We continuously raise these concerns but we need to and want to work with our colleagues within the European Union. Dialogue is always the best way to try to address many of these concerns but it has now got to the stage of a suspension and I hope we can engage on these issues to try to find a solution to all of them.

In terms of Brexit, and the programme and aid, two suggestions were made by Deputies, who have left the Chamber, to the effect that we are not providing enough support to those who need it, particularly that we are only providing direct grant-in-aid to private companies, but that is not true. I would point to the supports that are being provided particularly for the agrifood sector, where more than 90% of companies in the sector are small and medium enterprises based in our constituencies and rural areas. Most of the grants and the support we have been providing is to try to assist those, whether by way of the €300 million scheme, and a second scheme was launched today by the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, or by way of the additional support for Bord Bia or Enterprise Ireland to help those companies not only to examine their structures but to try to restructure and look beyond the UK as a trading partner, which, for many of them is their key objective and goal. Unfair comments were made about Bord Bia and the work it was stated it is not doing. It is doing a massive amount of work. Only this morning, as Deputy Lisa Chambers would attest, we had an update from one of its representatives, Tara McCarthy, who has consistently engaged with the Government to make sure we understand what its members and their companies are going through and the types of supports they need. It also has been actively engaged in an outreach programme to try to ensure that its companies are as supported as possible. Again, these are the small and medium enterprises, people employing one or two people in communities in our rural towns and villages. Almost 70% of our companies and employment that is created is through small and medium enterprises. There are supports for the larger companies but much of it is focused on those who need it, particularly in the rural and the agricultural communities and sectors.

In terms of new alliances, there is a great deal of work ongoing. Many have acknowledged that the UK has been our nearest neighbour, ally and friend on many issues and we have had very similar agendas for the past 47 years, but obviously we are looking further afield. I think some students from Denmark are still in the Gallery. Part of our outreach is with our Nordic, Baltic and Dutch colleagues. Something that started off as an invitation to not only the Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, but also Mark Rutte has now turned into something of a more of a formal arrangement. For example, I meet my European colleagues at the European Affairs Council meetings but also the Minister for Finance meets those colleagues on a regular basis as does the Taoiseach. We have a number of various groupings that are not specific to countries but specific to issues on which we are working. The D9 or the D9 plus specifically focuses on the digital agenda and the digital Single Market economy, which we are pushing and perceive as being significant to our economy and implementation of the Single Market. In terms of agriculture, it is a major issue for us.

Stepping away from Brexit, there is a matter of the next multi-annual financial framework, MFF, and the possible proposal from the Commission of a 5% cut, which would have a major and detrimental impact on our farmers. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is engaging, and has been for some time, and has led some discussions on the next MFF. He is trying to ensure our farmers and farming community are protected. That engagement is part of his discussions with the European Commissioner, Phil Hogan. Other discussions are taking place involving our Minister for Finance and Ministers of State at the Department of Finance with like-minded groups, whether it be on taxation, open competitiveness or other key issues. A massive amount of work is ongoing, whether it is specific to countries with which we would not see eye to eye on everything but which are very like-minded, as well as with specific groups focusing on specific issues.

With regard to the Good Friday Agreement, the protection of the Single Market and the customs union, the Border issue and what was or was not said by RTÉ, given there were many different comments last week, there has been a lot of speculation based on things that were said by the Commission and by Michel Barnier, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron when entering and leaving the Council. What was very clear and what has been consistently repeated to us is that there must be protection of the Single Market and the customs union, and we support that. What was also made very clear is that we must find a way to protect the Good Friday Agreement. Obviously, we know it is extremely difficult to do that in the absence of a closer trading relationship with the UK and the EU, or in the absence of the backstop. That is why we are doing everything within our power to ensure there is a withdrawal agreement and an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU and that, no matter what, we can protect the invisible border that currently exists. However, there is no detailed discussion ongoing at the moment.

As to what might happen in a no-deal scenario, there were of course conversations that suggested this would have to be discussed. However, we are not at that stage and we are still hoping that, either today or in the next week, the Prime Minister will be able to find a new way forward through a closer relationship, a new referendum or an extension towards something more significant or, indeed, that she can get agreement on the withdrawal agreement. We would welcome any of those developments.

I agree that damage has already been done. There are a huge number of companies and individuals who are not making plans and I would go so far as to say people are not even buying houses because they are unsure of what might happen and what the environment might be. We need to make sure we are doing as much as we can now, as we have been in the past three budgets, whether that is through financial supports, putting new plans in place through our infrastructure programmes and financial services programmes, or the new action plan for jobs which the Minister has been working on. The fact that three out of five jobs created have been created outside of Dublin in the last year has not been by accident but is part of trying to ensure that any ongoing implications of Brexit are addressed before it even happens. Obviously, our no-deal planning forms part of that. Without knowing exactly what the outcome will be, we can only do our best to engage with people and provide financial support where possible.

With regard to the timeline and our engagement with the Commission, as I have said a huge amount of support has already been put in place which people can access. The Minister for Finance has been working with the Ministers, Deputy Humphreys and Deputy Creed, with regard to specific packages for businesses and the agricultural sector. It is likely this can come to Cabinet, if and when needed, in a very short space of time. We have been engaging with the Commission for some time and we have been told that if funds were needed, they would become available when needed, whether in regard to flexibility on state aid rules, direct payments to farmers or business, or otherwise. Of course, we know that the timeline set out and agreed last week by the European Council and agreed by the UK in terms of the extension means we will not have that 24-hour cliff edge which we could have been facing this week if the UK did not come forward to say it is running European elections with an agreement on the withdrawal agreement, or with a possible way forward. It is within the remit of the Council and the Commission to set a date, possibly 22 May, on which the UK would leave with no deal, so we would have time to plan. I assume it would be within that period that the Commission would indicate the figures and timelines and the ways in which it would be able to support us.

On Venezuela, there was a question of whether we have the appetite to play a positive role, which we absolutely do. When we support Mr. Juan Guaidó, we see this as an interim measure which is not meant to be permanent. That was our intention, along with the other 24 member states that have supported this action. The EU's international contact group is there to try to deliver urgent humanitarian aid, although I accept it is not getting through and this is something we need to try to address. We need also to initiate a credible electoral process. The only way we can do that is by getting people to engage and to talk, as the Deputy rightly outlined. What the exact process within that contact group is I am not sure, but I can get that information for the Deputies. Another way is through the rapid responder deployment to assist the UNHCR, which is trying to support the Colombian Government's efforts to try to enhance the asylum system and to respond to the humanitarian issues that are ongoing and which have been ongoing for some time. Again, I will try to get clarity as to the international contact group's priority and agenda. We are working with EU colleagues to try and address, first and foremost, the humanitarian crisis which needs to be addressed.

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