Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy again. Brexit has presented a range of challenges for the agrifood and fisheries sectors. The trade and co-operation agreement reached between the European Union and the United Kingdom at the end of 2020 did, however, provide some welcome certainty around the future EU–UK trading relationship, including in respect of tariff-free trade. The fact that the UK is no longer in the EU Single Market or customs union still creates significant extra challenges for Irish food companies trading with the UK.

Both within my Department and across Government, we have prepared intensively, in collaboration with the agrifood industry, for these changes. In particular, we have invested significantly in assisting the industry to meet the new import and export requirements that do now, or will in the near future, apply to agrifood trade with the UK.

This investment has included recruitment of additional staff, provision of new port infrastructure, development of new and enhanced IT systems, provision of detailed training programmes for food businesses and provision of financial supports to help businesses to adapt to the new arrangements.

Most recently, on 15 October, along with Government colleagues, I launched the Brexit impact loan scheme, which makes up to €330 million in lending available to eligible businesses in Ireland. This followed the launch earlier this year of a €14 million capital investment scheme to support the food processing industry and comes on top of regular increases in funding to Bord Bia over recent budgets aimed at helping the industry to pursue market diversification opportunities.

I acknowledge the Irish agrifood sector's resilience despite the challenges associated with Brexit. I assure the Deputy that the Government remains fully focused on supporting the industry as it seeks to grow into the future.

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