Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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300. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether, as Brexit draws closer, further commercial investments by Irish agrifood businesses will prioritise basing future operational expansions and job creation on mainland Britain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5182/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The decision of the UK to leave the EU creates potentially enormous challenges for all actors in the agri-food sector. We have seen the immediate impacts that have arisen from the fall in the value of sterling against the euro, and there will be further challenges that will arise as the implications in relation to trade and tariffs, regulations and standards, and border controls and certification become clearer. Agri-food businesses will plan in accordance with their individual circumstances, and will make decisions in accordance with their best commercial interest, taking into account market priorities, availability of raw materials, competitiveness issues, access to EU markets, availability of skilled labour, taxation, the regulatory environment and a range of other commercial factors.

My Department will continue to assist the sector through this period of uncertainty. We will also engage fully in the negotiations with a view to securing an outcome that will allow the sector to continue to trade freely with the UK in both directions in the future, without tariffs and with minimal additional customs and administrative procedures.