Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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76. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the membership and role of all Brexit-related stakeholder engagement groups working with her Department on Brexit issues; the number of times each stakeholder group has met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38847/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am keen that the Department continues to engage in in-depth and frequent dialogue with our stakeholders on a range of policy areas which fall within our remit. My Department established a Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation 'Enterprise Forum' which provides a vehicle for discussion of enterprise, trade and investment policy implications arising from wider global challenges, with a specific focus on Brexit in the first instance. The focus of the working group in the first phase of its establishment will be the UK’s exit from the EU - discussions at the group will help inform the development of policy and operational positions in relation to enterprise, trade and investment.

The role of the DBEI Enterprise Forum on Brexit & Global Challenges is to gather intelligence from the enterprise sector, and consider the implications and impacts for enterprise emerging from the UK’s exit from the EU across the full spectrum of DJEI’s policy remit including but not limited to, impacts on enterprise, employment, trade, investment and regulation; assist in identifying measures which could be considered by Government, Agencies and business to mitigate risks and maximise opportunities associated with Brexit; share research on the potential impacts of Brexit on enterprise; and identify policy approaches which could inform negotiations.

Membership of the Forum includes business representative bodies, representatives from DJEI Agencies and policy officials from across DJEI.  

My Department convenes quarterly meetings of the Retail Consultation Forum to hear the sectors concerns and to work together on finding practical solutions to the key issues faced by the sector. Brexit has been placed as a standing item on the agenda of the Retail Forum. Brexit is also a regular item for discussion at the Regional Action Plan for Jobs implementation Committees.

Furthermore, my Department held a large stakeholder engagement event in Carrick-on-Shannon on 30 January to hear the views of a wide range of stakeholders. At this event, the Government’s ongoing response to Brexit and the impact across the policy areas for the Department was outlined.  I co-hosted, with Minister Bruton, a second stakeholder engagement on 3 July 2017 which focused on the theme of "Enterprise Skills Needs and Brexit”. This event provided a valuable opportunity for dialogue with all relevant stakeholders to highlight activity already underway or planned to deal with the skills challenges posed by Brexit and to identify any issues which may need further discussion or study through the national skills architecture. A further joint stakeholder dialogue on research with the Department of Education and Skills is also being planned.

In addition to this more structured engagement with enterprise, I, and senior officials from my department, meet with enterprise and enterprise representative groups on a regular basis to ensure that industry has input into enterprise and employment policy development and I am keen that the Department continues to engage in in-depth and frequent dialogue with our stakeholders on a range of policy areas which fall within our remit.