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

Deputy Griffin can take it as a given that we will continue to work across Government to hold the British Government to the international obligations it has signed up to. I am a firm believer in controlling the things we can control, and in respect of my role in the Department, that is clearly to look at tangible efforts to ensure we have a broader diversification of the markets we export into.

There was no better example of that recently than when the Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and I attending the sod-turning of the €200 million investment in the new Glanbia cheese plant in Belview. This is an investment that will bring 400 construction jobs to the south east along with 80 permanent jobs and will support the incomes of 4,500 farm families who will supply the plant. It is being built as a result of Brexit because that plant will produce continental cheeses for the global market from 2024. This development will diversify Glanbia’s offering away from the more traditional Cheddar offering that is bound for the UK.

Through its partnership with Royal A-ware, Irish farmers will now be producing milk which will go to make Edam, Gouda, and Emmental cheeses destined for the shelves of European markets. Yes, the UK will remain an important market but we must continue to insulate ourselves against those future risks.

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