Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

159. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the threats identified by her Department with regard to the responsibilities of her Department as a result of no deal being reached in Brexit negotiations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26906/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On 2nd May, the Government published a comprehensive document on Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. This document sets out the approach of the Government to the forthcoming negotiations, following the successful campaign to have key Irish issues recognised in the EU negotiation position.

Following on from this publication, work is underway to prepare a further paper on economic implications of the Brexit challenge.  This will draw on the work to date across Departments,  which will be developed to mitigate emerging sectoral challenges. These plans will build on ongoing cross-Government research, analysis and consultations with stakeholders, and will reflect the core economic themes of the Taoiseach's speech to the IIEA on 15 February last.  

Ireland’s economic interests lie firmly in a strong and well-functioning EU with continued and unfettered access to the single market. There is a lot of negotiation to be done around trading arrangements.  Our contingency work is examining all scenarios and we cannot pre-empt the outcome at this stage.  We are not under any illusions about the complexity of these negotiations and are engaged in detailed planning to prepare for these. There is a whole of Government approach in place focusing on Brexit issues and my Department and its agencies are to the forefront of this effort.

Given the wide mission of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the UK’s decision to leave the European Union will impact significantly on all policy fields across my Department as well as our family of Agencies. Over the past number of months, I have tasked my Department officials with making Brexit their number one priority.

In advance of the Referendum my Department conducted a contingency risk assessment of the potential impacts of Brexit across policy areas of my Department. We have refined our analysis post-Referendum and we have been working with Agencies to put in place actions to mitigate risks and maximise opportunities.

We have also been working with colleagues across Government to analysis potential sectoral impacts and consider the implications of various scenarios which may emerge as a result of the UK leaving the EU. 

My department has been building an understanding of companies’ needs in adapting to the challenges posed by Brexit and to develop appropriate and targeted responses to support them. I recently published the results of a survey of over 1,000 enterprises.

In response to the results of the survey we are developing a Brexit Working Capital Guarantee Scheme and scoping out the need for a longer term Business Development Loan Scheme to assist firms in investing for a post-Brexit environment.

My Department has funded a research project commissioned by InterTrade Ireland to improve our understanding of the impact on cross border trade of different trade and tariff regimes which might be imposed following Brexit. This study has recently been published.

We are also undertaking research to examine the implications for the most exposed enterprise sectors of the UK being outside of the European Single Market and Customs Union.

In addition we are profiling the composition of trade and investment for Ireland and a range of EU Member States with the UK – this will provide an evidence base to inform Ireland’s policy positions as part of the wider negotiation on the UK’s future relationship with the EU.  

Finally, the Action Plan for 2017 is at the core of the government's response to the huge challenge these pose for businesses.