Written answers

Thursday, 11 October 2018

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Brexit Issues

Photo of Martin KennyMartin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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23. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps that have been taken to ensure that cross-Border veterinary regulations and standards will be maintained after Brexit. [41470/18]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Brexit has the potential to have a significant impact on the whole of the agriculture industry throughout Ireland.

However, the Government, in the first instance, is seeking to minimise the impact of Brexit through a negotiated outcome which avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland and which permits a trading arrangement post-Brexit that is as close as possible to that prevailing currently. That is what Ireland wants from the negotiations, and it is also what the EU wants.

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. The aim from an agri-food perspective is to continue with the free movement of agricultural goods and animals on the island of Ireland, while maintaining veterinary regulations and standards.

Ensuring that the UK gives effect to this commitment is 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. I and my Department have been contributing actively to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade- coordinated ‘whole of government’ approach to ensuring such an outcome from the negotiations.

In relation to the maintenance of veterinary regulations and standards on the island, I want to assure the Deputy that the ongoing, close co-operation between my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland established under the All island Animal Health and Welfare Strategy is continuing. The working groups established under the strategy, continue to focus on critical issues such as disease control, animal identification and movement, cross-border communication, data sharing and the development of joint initiatives on animal welfare.

I wish to assure the Deputy that the Government remains very focused on supporting the agricultural industry through the challenges ahead. 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 entire UK which is as close as possible to the current arrangement.

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