Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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228. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if changes are planned to primary legislation under the remit of his Department to form a part of a Bill (details supplied). [3699/19]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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229. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if emergency legislation has been drawn up in the event of a no-deal Brexit; the number of pieces of primary legislation this includes; and if he will provide a list of same. [3700/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together.

My Department has no input in the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill as, based on current considerations, there is no requirement to alter primary legislation under my Departments remit for Brexit at this time.

We will, however, be amending Statutory Instruments setting the time limits for pre-notification for imports to arrive in the State for the purposes of carrying out of documentary, identity and physical checks on imports of animals, plants, and products of animal and plant origin, as set out in EU legislation and will also have a separate Statutory Instrument dealing with movements of pets including movement from the UK post Brexit.

Throughout this work, the focus of the Department will continue to be on the need to discharge its legal responsibilities while ensuring the minimum possible disruption to trade.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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230. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an application has been submitted to the EU Commission to designate additional Irish airports or ports as designated Border inspection posts in preparation for the possibility of the UK becoming a third country with the EU in 2019 in a no-deal Brexit scenario; and, if so, if the detail of such airports and ports will be provided. [3701/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department has been actively participating in the Whole-of-Government approach to preparedness and contingency planning. We have fed into the overall Government Contingency Action Plan which was published on 19 December, and we have been working very closely with colleagues in other Departments and agencies to address in particular the requirements that will arise in relation to the implementation at ports and airports of import controls on agri-food products coming from the UK.

These requirements are significant, and arise in relation to the carrying out of documentary, identity and physical checks on imports of animals, plants, and products of animal and plant origin, as set out in EU legislation.

We will be applying to the EU Commission to expand the types of products and animals that our existing Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) in Dublin Port and Dublin Airport are authorised to inspect and we are seeking Commission approval for a BIP at Rosslare Port.

In the meantime an existing site has been secured in Dublin Port for the temporary accommodation required in the event of a no deal Brexit and work on refurbishing an existing building will have commenced by the end of the month. Space is being secured for truck parking. There will be dock-levellers, parking for HGVs, toll booth facilities and a public office, along with accommodation for staff.

At the same time, permanent facilities are being developed, with sites identified and plans at an advanced stage.

At Rosslare Europort office, staff accommodation will be located at existing premises in and around the harbour and work on refurbishing them will have commenced by the end of the month. Space for truck parking is being secured.

As in Dublin Port, permanent facilities are being developed in Rosslare Europort, with a site in the harbour identified and plans at an advanced stage.

At Dublin Airport, the volumes of traffic involved in the event of a no deal Brexit can be catered for by existing facilities.

Throughout all this work, the focus of my Department will continue to be on the need to discharge its legal responsibilities while ensuring the minimum disruption to trade.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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231. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the impact a no-deal Brexit will have on the equine industry here; and the contingencies being put in place in this regard. [3702/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The current position is that EU rules on the movement of equidae between EU Member States require that the animals being moved are inspected by an official veterinarian and accompanied by a veterinary health certificate issued under the EU TRACES system and a horse passport issued by an approved horse passport issuing body.

However, these rules also allow Member States which have implemented alternative but equivalent health control systems in their respective territories, to grant one another derogations from the standard movement rules. The derogation provided for under Community rules on the movement of equidae is applicable to movements between EU Member States only. It is not inclusive of movements between the EU and Third Countries.

Currently Ireland is part of a Tripartite Agreement (TPA), along with the UK and France which allows for the movement and trade of horses between the three countries without undergoing veterinary inspections and without health certificates. As the TPA is based on EU legislation on the movement of horses within the EU, the UK cannot be part of the Agreement once it becomes a Third Country.

The current focus of our 'no deal' contingency planning is on the arrangements that will be necessary for the Department to fulfil its legal obligations with respect to import controls on live animals and agri food products as efficiently as possible while also ensuring the minimum possible disruption to trading arrangements.

As part of this planning we are upgrading existing Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) and developing additional BIPs to cater for the increased volume of inspections necessary, including in respect of equines being imported from the UK, and making arrangements to facilitate the certification of horses to the UK as necessary.