Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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221. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which his Department is making provision for the eventuality of Brexit with particular reference to its implications for air and sea travel in view of the necessity to ensure easy travel access to continental Europe for Irish persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52453/18]

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. The Department is represented on all relevant cross-Departmental coordination structures, and an internal Departmental Committee on Brexit meets on a monthly basis to oversee the Department's analyses and planning in the areas of aviation and maritime transport, and tourism.

Contingency planning in relation to Brexit at both a national and an EU level is focused on preparing for two scenarios - a no-deal scenario or “disorderly Brexit” and on a central case scenario, involving a transition period and agreement on the future relationship. 

Access to and from Ireland is wholly dependent on our maritime and aviation networks. Any disruption to current access arrangements would have major implications for Irish businesses and for the overall economy. However, I do not envisage any major changes for people travelling from Ireland directly to continental Europe by air or by sea when the UK has left the EU.

For persons travelling to continental Europe via the UK, the European Commission's Contingency Action Plan, published last month, outlines that it plans to propose measures to ensure that disruption to air travel between the UK and the EU will be minimised in the event of a disorderly UK exit from the EU, subject to reciprocity. This will provide assurance to those travelling by air between the EU and UK in such a scenario. Ferry services will continue to operate between Ireland and the UK following Brexit, including in a disorderly Brexit scenario, and the Government is working on contingency plans to ensure that any potential delays in ports as a result of additional checks on UK goods being carried by ferry are minimised.

The Draft Political Declaration setting out the Framework for the Future Relationship between the EU and the UK published recently foresees a comprehensive partnership between the EU and the UK across a range of areas of importance to Ireland, including air transport.