Written answers

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Brexit Issues

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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296. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the preparations made in her Department in the event of no agreement being reached between the United Kingdom and the European Union on the terms of the UK's exit from the EU; if such preparations involve the drawing up of detailed and specific contingency plans in the event of a hard Brexit and a trade regime based on WTO tariffs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48773/17]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit, Minister Coveney has responsibility for co-ordinating the whole-of-Government response to Brexit. In this capacity, he is working closely with his colleagues across Government to address the many challenges resulting from Brexit. This co-operation also involves the relevant State Agencies.

Work at Cabinet level is being prepared through cross-departmental co-ordination 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.

As the outcome of the negotiations is not yet known, an important focus of the planning and preparation being undertaken through these structures is on deepening the Government’s analysis and understanding of the exact consequences of a range of different possible scenarios. This represents an intensification of efforts to build on the Government‘s contingency planning.

In relation to the work undertaken by my Department with regard to Brexit, I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question 586 of 7 November.

The arrangements described in this reply are kept under constant review and will be enhanced as required in light of the ongoing preparations for Brexit

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