Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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418. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the preparatory work that has been carried out with regard to maintaining the open skies policy following Brexit; the contingency plans in place if no agreement is reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19827/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Brexit and its potential implications for Ireland are being managed on a whole-of-government basis. My Department is represented on all relevant cross-Departmental coordination structures, and an internal Departmental Committee on Brexit meets regularly. The Department also consults regularly with the aviation regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders through the National Civil Aviation Development Forum.

Contingency planning in relation to Brexit at both a national and an EU level is focused on three areas: preparing for a no-deal scenario or so-called “disorderly Brexit”; preparing for a transition period based on the “status quo”; and preparing for the future EU-UK relationship.

The European Commission is also contingency planning on this basis and in the context of contingency planning for a "disorderly Brexit" has put forward the possibility of a so-called 'bare-bones' EU-UK air services agreement (traffic rights & safety) and/or the possibility of unilateral EU measures. Ireland strongly favours an EU level solution to these issues such as those being looked at by the Commission.

The Government has been clear that its approach to preparing for Brexit is aimed at minimising the impact of Brexit on our trade and economy and an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU. Ireland has been a long standing supporter of open skies policies and this certainly remains the case in the context of Brexit.