Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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113. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the Irish response to Brexit remains consistent and cognisant of the need to ensure the continued application of the Single Market and customs union in view of the UK decision to leave the European Union; the likely economic impact in the event of a reintroduction of customs and border controls on this island; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48670/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government has been consistent and clear in its priorities for the Brexit negotiations. These are: protecting the peace process, no hard border, maintaining the Common Travel Area, securing an effective transitional arrangement leading to the closest possible trading relationship with the UK, and working for the future of the European Union itself.

The border is a complex issue, and therefore flexible and imaginative solutions will be required to avoid a hard border which not only address the economic challenges but also take account of the societal challenges and how important the current invisible border is for sustaining the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement. This is about ensuing that people’s lives and livelihoods are protected and that communities and businesses in the border region are given every opportunity to develop and prosper. Any solution must respect the integrity of the Single Market and the Customs Union and Ireland’s place in them and must not anticipate the outcome of the wider discussions on the EU’s future relationship with the UK.

It is therefore the Government’s view that the UK staying in the Customs Union and Single Market, or the closest possible arrangement to that, would be the best solution to avoid a hard border on the island. Failing that, Northern Ireland should continue to enjoy the benefits of the Customs Union and the Single Market, of course with all the rights and obligations that would come with that. If the UK continues to rule out this option, the solutions that it offers must be concrete and workable and must achieve the shared objective of protecting the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and the gains of the peace process, including avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland. Now is the time for the UK to provide strong political assurances and tangible commitments, which must also take account of and comprehensively address the risks presented by any regulatory divergence from the rules of the EU Internal Market and Customs Union.

My officials and I will continue to work very closely with Michel Barnier and his team to ensure that Ireland’s positions continue to be fully reflected in the negotiations. This is a long process and the outcome is far from determined but I remain hopeful that, with hard work and political will, progress can be made in the coming weeks before the next meeting of the European Council on 14-15 December.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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114. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which his Department continues to make preparation for Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48671/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit, I have responsibility for coordinating the whole-of-Government response to Brexit. In this capacity, I am working closely with colleagues across Government to address the many challenges resulting from Brexit.

Work at Cabinet level is being prepared through cross-Departmental coordination structures. These represent a frequent and active channel through which all relevant Departments are providing their research, analysis and overall policy input to the Government’s wider response to Brexit, including its priorities for the ongoing Article 50 negotiations between the EU and the UK.

Aside from its wider co-ordination responsibilities, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has lead responsibility for planning for, preparing positions on, and following the EU-UK negotiations. This requires research on and analysis of very many legal, institutional, and political issues. Within my Department, this work is led by the European Union Division in co-operation with the Ireland and United Kingdom and Americas Division, the Legal Division, the Political Division and the Trade Division. Our Permanent Representation in Brussels, and our Embassies in all Member States, send in a constant stream of reports describing and analysing the concerns and priorities of the EU Institutions and our partners.

My Department is also analysing the possible impact of Brexit on policy areas within its remit, notably the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and the EU’s policy on international development.

We have already seen the implications that Brexit has had for our consular and passport services. There has been a marked increase in demand for passports and citizenship via foreign birth registration from applicants in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. In this regard, the Passport Service in Dublin, Cork and London as well as Consular Division have recruited a number of additional temporary and fulltime officers to meet increased Passport and Foreign Birth Registration demands including increased demand as a result of Brexit.

My Department also works closely with the European Commission and European Parliament Offices here in Dublin and with civil society organisations including the Institute for International and European Affairs and European Movement Ireland. With funding from this Department, the IIEA is undertaking research on the future shape of the EU and the new strategic alliances that Ireland will need to develop within the EU after Brexit. The analysis will also consider the macro-economic effects of Brexit and the EU institutional implications of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU. This work will build on the extensive analysis being undertaken by a range of organisations, both in Ireland and further afield, and will be presented in a series of public research papers over the coming months and years.

Notwithstanding all this ongoing analysis, preparation and contingency planning, the Government is already actively responding to the implications of Brexit and putting measures in place to mitigate the adverse effects for Ireland. Significant measures were announced in Budget 2018 including increased funding for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which will, among other things, support the opening of six new diplomatic missions as part of Global Footprint 2025 to help our exporters find new markets and diversity their exports.

We are not under any illusions about the complexity of Brexit and the EU-UK negotiations but the Government remains hopeful that progress can be made in the negotiations in the coming weeks so that a decision can be taken by European Council at its meeting in December to allow for parallel phase 2 discussions on future relationship and possible transitional arrangements to begin. Ireland will continue to work closely with the Commission Task Force to advance these issues in the negotiations with the UK.