Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy knows, all negotiations on Brexit issues are done through the EU. I had the opportunity last year to meet Liam Fox, the Secretary of State for Trade in the UK, and he talked about technological solutions. I was not very clear about how they would work. For somebody who lives on the Border, I am still not clear how they are going to work.

Businesses, both large and small, should undertake to register with Revenue for a customs number; make contact with their own UK suppliers; check to see if their suppliers use the UK as a landbridge; review their supply chain; check if their business relies on products or services that are certified for compliance with EU standards by a UK body; engage with any trade representative body of which they are a member; and avail of the Government's range of advisory and financial supports. There is more information at www.gov.ie/brexit. Businesses need to be aware of the risks that Brexit poses to them and to mitigate against those risks. There is a responsibility on businesses to engage with the supports that are there.

As the Deputy stated, there are a lot of supports and the staff in my Department have worked extremely hard to put a full suite of supports in place, including the Brexit working capital loan facility, the Brexit loan scheme and the future growth loan scheme.

Although Brexit as an issue may not be as immediate as it was leading up to 29 March this year, I encourage businesses to engage in this process and be ready.

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