Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his contribution, which I listened to from my office, and I thank him for waiting to listen to the debate. I am supportive of his and the Government's stance on the need to maintain the best possible relationship with the UK. Regardless of what happens at the end of this year, that relationship will be ongoing. It is not just about 1 January 2021, it is about 2 January and 3 January of 2021, 2022 and 2023. I believe we need cool heads and measured responses that are firm and unshakeable and rooted in the knowledge that we are supported by the withdrawal agreement and the Northern Ireland protocol, which, as the Minister rightly emphasised, is upheld even in the event of a no-deal Brexit. We are supported by the EU and the US, where many senior politicians, such as Nancy Pelosi, Richard Neal and Joe Biden, have given their support to upholding the Good Friday Agreement.

Our strength comes from the agreements we have negotiated between the EU and the UK, with significant input from Dublin and the European Parliament. Our strength is firmly rooted in the support of our EU and international colleagues. That is why I believe our responses have to be considered ones, because verbal onslaughts will serve little purpose except to widen gaps and undermine our future relationships with the EU. Governments come and go, but relationships are between people and businesses and they should not be damaged by either hasty or ill-chosen words. Yes, there is criticism within the UK from former Prime Ministers but they are family. We are neighbours. We are in a different position to the UK. We should play to our strengths and not play their games. That is what the Government is doing, and I support it.

None of that takes away from the critical juncture at which we find ourselves and, of course, that is exacerbated by the recent UK Internal Market Bill. As my speaking time is limited, I am going to make three points and pose a number of questions. If the Minister does not have time to answer them today, which he probably will not, I ask that written answers be provided.

First, the issue of the UK land bridge has been raised by many Deputies and I will not repeat their words. Nonetheless, I strongly agree with the concerns raised around the absolute need to increase direct sailings to the EU, not just to the French ports, but also to ports in northern Europe, like Antwerp or Hamburg. Has any thought been given to using direct sailings from Northern Ireland to northern European ports and, if so, what progress has been made? Dublin Port is very important but Rosslare and, to a lesser extent, Waterford and Cork, have a significant role to play. One point that needs to be considered is not just the number of sailings, but the turnaround time. For example, if ships have to sail by Rosslare on their way to Dublin, that is an extra one to two hours each way, which significantly adds to turnaround time. We need to take a regional view, from the perspective of expediency and efficiency but also from the perspective of serving exporters and importers throughout the country.

My second concern is around the sheep and beef sectors, which are of national importance but are especially critical in the Border regions and, of course, underpin much of the rural economy. As 250,000 tonnes of beef go from Ireland to the UK every year, any imposition of tariffs would totally undermine that trade and would collapse the market. I have several questions. First, the UK exports 100,000 tonnes of beef to the EU. In the event of a disorderly Brexit, the UK will not be able to export significant amounts of beef to the EU.

5 o’clock

The Minister is probably very aware that the British beef industry is pushing its Government to cut down on imports from Ireland, Botswana and Poland under the guise of meeting climate targets. Either of these scenarios, or both, could unfold. In those circumstances, what plans or preparations have been made to fill that potential gap for beef in the EU market?

With regard to the awful event of the possible imposition of WTO tariffs, will the Minister confirm whether tariffs are significantly lower on live exports to the UK or Northern Ireland than on exports of slaughtered animals as cuts of meat? Will the Minister verify that? If it is the case, have we considered the opportunities that might present? I am aware that we lose significant value in those circumstances but have we considered it as a stopgap measure?

We have introduced supports such as the beef exceptional aid measure, BEAM, and beef finisher pandemic payments but the estimated losses in this sector as a result of Covid and Brexit come to €273 million. While this is not the direct responsibility of the Minister, Brexit has a significant impact on that sector and I make a strong plea for further supports in that regard.

With regard to the sheep sector, there is a significant export trade between North and South. I have been told that every ewe in Northern Ireland would have to have three lambs to account for all of the sheep that travel across the Border. If the British Government does not adhere to the rules on a level playing field, and it has not yet brought forward its proposals, with regard to food standards, animal health, sanitary and phytosanitary regulations and so on, is the Minister confident that we will be able to ensure Ireland does not become a back door to the EU - it is important to remember that includes us - for UK sheep meat or any other food products that do not adhere to these standards? Will the Minister clarify what is likely to happen to all of the sheep meat we import from New Zealand given that the tonnage of sheep meat agreed was based largely on imports to the UK? What has been put in place to deal with that?

My final issue relates to the day-to-day nitty-gritty business of exporting and importing goods and the many Irish companies, large and small, that will have to manage that process. It is unfortunate that Covid has overshadowed the Brexit message, although I understand why. Businesses are so shell-shocked by the impact of Covid that some, often the smaller ones, are hoping against hope that things will just work out. In the same way that our message on Covid should not frighten people but inform them, we need to strengthen our approach as regards Brexit and step up our communications and, in certain cases, supports for businesses. Brexit preparedness is paramount.

I have spoken to many business owners, some of whom are as ready for Brexit as possible and some of whom are less so. One business in particular alerted me to the situation in respect of the idea of the exporter and importer of record. Such an exporter has to take responsibility for the actual movement of the goods including the clearance of customs, paperwork, VAT payments, tariff payments and so on. That requires co-operation between sellers and buyers in Ireland and the UK. If somebody is importing from the UK, the same issues apply. Much more work needs to be done in this regard. I ask that whatever extra structures or systems are needed be put in place because the information I am receiving suggests there are gaps here and in the UK, especially with regard to a lack of knowledge on both sides of the supply chain.

State agencies have played a very positive role but the granular detail of Brexit is the issue. Greater preparedness is needed to help some of these businesses avoid a catastrophe.

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