Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has met the EU Commission chief negotiator on Brexit, Michel Barnier, to discuss the implications of Brexit for farmers, particularly in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29905/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I welcome Michel Barnier’s appointment as the European Commission’s chief negotiator for Brexit, and I look forward to hearing his plans for the conduct of exit negotiations with the UK under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union.

My priority for the exit negotiations is to achieve the best possible outcome for farmers and for the Irish agri-food sector as a whole, consistent with the Government’s overall aim of ensuring a strong EU-UK relationship and a well-managed withdrawal. This is particularly important for farmers in border counties such as Cavan and Monaghan, who are particularly exposed to the range of trade and other issues associated with the North-South dimension of the Brexit issue.

In that regard, engagement with EU partners and the EU institutions remains a high priority. All members of the Government will remain actively engaged with their European counterparts and, as the negotiations get underway, this will include consultation with the Commission’s chief negotiator, as appropriate.