Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I echo Deputy Cian O'Callaghan in welcoming a deal. Brexit has added considerable uncertainty and worry to families, farmers, fishing communities and small businesses across Ireland. The EU-UK trade and co-operation agreement is a welcome alternative to a no-deal Brexit, as is the Minister's work in prioritising the Good Friday Agreement and the common travel area. Small independent producers in west Cork are contacting me because they are worried about the impact of the agreement and the ongoing uncertainty and they need more reassurance. The Government must put in place targeted supports to help these sectors transition through this period and continue to push such supports at EU level.

With the UK leaving the Single Market the agrifood sector is facing additional costs. It is essential that families, especially low-income households and local enterprises, are not the ones to bear the brunt of these changes. The beef barons and industrial-scale players can adapt, but the likes of inshore fishermen, small farmers, artisan food producers and low-income households simply cannot afford to bear the brunt of excessive barriers. The absence of mutual recognition of sanitary standards is resulting in more controls on goods of animal and plant origin. The Government needs to pursue agreement in these areas to ensure that agrifood trade is as seamless as possible.

Fishing communities are disappointed with the agreement, which sees a total loss of €43 million, with Ireland surrendering a greater percentage of quota than most other EU states. The Minister referred to it as a sacrifice. It is essential that the Government puts in place schemes to support the sector. The process for designating ports for landings of UK-registered Northern Ireland boats was poorly handled. It should have had more consideration, planning and troubleshooting to reflect the realities of the industry. The designation of additional ports is welcome, but it should have happened sooner. More needs to be done to assist those impacted by Brexit and its fallout, both directly and indirectly.

Smaller fishing communities are left wondering how this came about, and whose interests are being served. The excessive re-registering costs, amounting to hundreds of thousands of euro in some cases, is simply not an option for many without assistance. In addition, 24-hours' notice of landing is unworkable for some. There are more and more bureaucratic barriers for smaller fishing operators. The further designation of additional ports if necessary and the use of exemptions to notice periods until fishers have a chance to adapt to the new arrangements should be considered while the impact of new requirements is being assessed.

For many in the industry it feels like the Government is working against them rather than fighting for them. I am sure that is not entirely the case, but that is sometimes how it seems and looks. Small-scale fishers represent the type of sustainable fishing that has been practised for generations in places like west Cork, the islands and coastal communities. It is the kind of fishing we should be prioritising. However, successive Governments are only focused on the larger and more damaging types of fishing, which is more lucrative for the few rather than the many. That is evident in that these are the only ones being represented by producer organisations, POs. Many of these issues can be connected to how decisions are made and whose interests are being served. That is incredibly problematic and must be addressed.

The fishing sector is complex, with fishers of different types and scales working in the industry. However, the Government and the media rarely reflect this nuance. This is evident in the disconnect between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and many fishing communities. It is essential that the Minister grants PO status to other representative groups, such as those representing the islands and other inshore fisheries groups, to better represent all of the sector, especially small-scale and family businesses, which are often overshadowed by the larger players and their producer organisations. The organisations that are actively seeking PO status should be urgently assisted by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. There can be no more delays or excuses. This is such a crucial time for the industry, and we need to hear all their voices in order to fix the situation.

In the tourism area, small businesses are worried about the effect on them. The imposition of VAT and customs duty and the bureaucratic barriers can be met by large corporations but are prohibitive for family enterprises. These obstacles are a serious threat at a time when we are attempting to foster campaigns to buy local and to promote online trading for small-scale businesses. The Government's change to the retail export scheme, which allows non-EU tourists to claim back VAT on purchases made in Ireland, is a particular blow to the tourism and craft industries, which are a significant source of employment for younger people especially in rural areas. I urge the Minister for Finance to immediately reverse the increase to enable VAT relief on the majority of purchases to help support local enterprises.

The EU-UK agreement is the new trading reality, which will have considerable impacts on agrifood, fishing and small businesses. The Government must engage directly with those involved in these sectors and prioritise the voice of small and independent producers to ensure practical and more equitable solutions.

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