Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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242. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps being taken to protect farmers in Border counties from a hard Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40253/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Brexit has the potential to have a very significant impact on farmers and on the agri-food sector throughout Ireland, including farmers in the border counties.

As the Deputy will be aware, the agri-food sector is of critical importance to the Irish economy, and its regional spread means it underpins the socio-economic development of rural Ireland in particular.

In the first instance, the Government is seeking to minimise the impact of Brexit through a negotiated outcome which permits trade along the border regions to continue without impediment. In this regard, the UK commitment, in the Joint EU-UK Report of last December, to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, was extremely important.

Ensuring that the UK gives effect to this commitment is now a significant focus of the Irish Government, and we have the full support of our EU partners and of the European Commission Task Force in this regard.

Additionally, the Government has introduced a range of measures to deal with the short-term impacts of Brexit. In terms of dealing with Competitiveness issues, my Department introduced a €150 million low-cost loan scheme, new agri-taxation measures and increased funding under the Rural Development and Seafood Development Programmes in the 2017 Budget. In Budget 2018 I, along with my colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Business and Innovation, introduced a new €300m “Brexit Loan Scheme” to provide affordable, flexible financing to Irish businesses that are either currently impacted by Brexit or who will be in the future - at least 40% of which will be available to food businesses.

Under Market Diversification, my Department is supporting Bord Bia in its investment in market insight (through its ‘Thinking House’) and in market prioritisation initiatives which are aimed at identifying and developing potential diversification opportunities. Indeed, I have increased funding to Bord Bia by €14.5m since the UK referendum.

As regards Product Diversification, I am supporting Teagasc in the development of a new National Food Innovation Hub in Fermoy (€8.8 million funding announced by An Taoiseach and myself last October).

I wish to assure the Deputy that the Government remains very focused on supporting farmers and the agri-food industry through the challenges ahead, whether they are based in the border region or in any other part of the country. The Government will be firm in arguing that any agreement reached between the EU and the UK must take account of the very serious challenges presented by Brexit for the sector, particularly given the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland and the importance of our economic relationship with the UK. And, of course, ultimately Ireland's objective in the negotiations is to have a trading relationship with the UK which is as close as possible to the current arrangements.