Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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392. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of times the consultative committee that was established after the Brexit referendum in June 2016 has met; the number of additional meetings planned for the remainder of 2016; the number of meetings planned in the first quarter of 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32756/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Consultative Committee of Stakeholders on Brexit was established in the wake of the result of the UK Referendum in order to ensure a full exchange of information between my Department and the range of agrifood and fisheries stakeholders as the negotiation process unfolds.

The Consultative Committee has met twice since 24 June.  The first meeting was held within two weeks of the referendum result, on 7 July, and the second meeting was held on 20 October.  The meetings have been extremely useful and productive, both in terms of keeping stakeholders informed of developments and in identifying issues that need to be addressed in my Department's contingency planning, which is in turn feeding into the Government’s central contingency framework that is being co-ordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach.  Further meetings of the Consultative Committee will be arranged as necessary.

It should be noted that the consultative committee is not the only forum for consultation with stakeholders on Brexit.  The Foodwise High Level Committee discusses the issues relating to Brexit as a standing item on the committee's agenda and my officials are also in regular contact with representatives from the sector through other channels.