Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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73. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of meetings he has held with farmers’ organisations in the context of Brexit during December 2020. [41622/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Since my appointment as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I have engaged and consulted extensively with farm organisations, industry stakeholders and representative bodies on Brexit. This has particularly been the case through our national Brexit Stakeholder Consultative Committee, which contains representatives from all of the main farmers' organisations, and is due to meet again before Christmas.

As a result of my active engagement with farmers and industry I am very familiar with the challenges that Brexit poses for our agri-food sector and the wider economy.  I know that this is a very challenging time for them when they are already trying to cope with the Covid-19 crisis.

However, I have been very clear that, regardless of the outcome of the EU-UK negotiations, from 1 January 2021, any business that movesanimals, plants, animal products or plant products from, to or through Great Britain will be subject to a range of new customs formalities and other regulatory requirements. I am asking the farm organisations, and other organisations that I meet, to help me to get this message out to their members and to encourage them to avail of the broad range of supports, including financial, upskilling and advisory supports that are available to prepare for Brexit.

I can confirm to the Deputy that I addressed the ICMSA’s AGM on a number of issues, including Brexit, at a virtual event that took place on 3 December.