Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I accept his point that very strong measures have been put in place in terms of Brexit readiness. There was always hopefulness in the businesses’ viewpoint as to where Brexit might leave them. We are on the eve of Brexit and we will certainly be doing business very differently than in the past.

Despite the fact the Border region has received significant EU funding since the 1990s, it continues to lag behind national and regional averages in areas such as productivity and household incomes. There are some 87,000 businesses in the Border region, 40% of which are in the agri-sector. I always use Lakeland Dairies as a good example of a business that employs a large number of people, does its business on both sides of the Border and is very reliant on a seamless Border. It needs to be able to continue to do business in a way that is sustainable and that allows it to continue to employ in the way it does and to maintain productivity.

I welcome the Minister of State's comments that there will be a positive bias towards the Border region, which is very important. The Border region is at the coalface of Brexit and has a very particular set of certain of circumstances that is not seen nationally.

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