Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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1120. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the measures being prepared in order to meet the challenges raised by the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13793/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As an island nation, Ireland is entirely dependent on maritime and aviation networks for trade, tourism and the movement of people. Any additional barriers - be they physical, regulatory or technical - to the current access arrangements between the UK and Ireland will be severely detrimental to the overall economy and must be managed as efficiently as possible.

As such, Brexit is identified as the Department’s highest strategic risk and the response has been structured accordingly. Preparations for Brexit have taken place based on two potential scenarios, a ‘no-deal’ scenario where the UK exits the European Union without a deal, and a ‘Central Case Scenario’ which assumes a deal and transition period to end-2020. While planning continues under both scenarios and I am hopeful of achieving that an Agreement in line with the central case scenario can be achieved, the current focus necessarily revolves around the immediate dangers posed by a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.

Preparations have centred on contingency measures at EU and national level, both in the transport and tourism sectors, but also across wider EU and Government structures, and with the private sector, on issues that may impact on transport and tourism.

Details on the impacts and contingency measures can be found on the Brexit page of the Department’s website: