Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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189. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has had discussions with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Phil Hogan and the EU Commissioner for Trade, Mrs. Cecilia Malmström in relation to the need to have an immediate EU wide response to support the beef sector and farm incomes following the comments of the British Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mr. Michael Gove in relation to the imposition of tariffs on Irish products and the likely import of beef from South America and other markets in the event of a no-deal Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10170/19]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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190. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has had discussions with the EU Commissioners for Agriculture and Rural Development and Trade to place supports for the agri-food sector in the event of a no-deal Brexit; if there are plans to put such supports in place without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10171/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 190 together.

I and my officials have been working very hard for quite some time to sensitise other Member States and the European Commission to the potentially very severe impacts of Brexit on the Irish agri-food and in particular the beef sector, and to the likelihood of specific supports being required in order to deal with these impacts. The institutions of the European Union are very well aware of the likelihood of a significant impact of a disorderly Brexit on Ireland’s economy because this has been part of the discussion from the beginning, and indeed this is explicitly recognised in the Commission’s own communication on contingency planning.

Most recently, I held a bilateral meeting with Commissioner Hogan at the end of January to discuss the potential impact of a disorderly Brexit on the Irish agri-food sector, and on the beef sector in particular. We discussed the unique exposure of the sector to the threat of a disorderly Brexit, and the challenges that it could present. I stressed the need to be ready to deploy a range of measures to mitigate the potential impacts on farmers and the food industry, including through traditional market supports such as intervention and Aids to Private Storage (APS), through exceptional aid under the CAP's Single Common Market Organisation regulation, and through increased flexibility under State Aid regulations. Commissioner Hogan reiterated the EU’s readiness to respond and support Ireland and we will remain in contact on these issues as the situation evolves.

Since then officials of my Department have had meetings with Commission officials to examine potential options in more detail and these contacts are ongoing.