Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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125. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the engagement his Department has had with other stakeholders regarding the need to minimise the impact of Brexit in the longer term on Irish agri-businesses particularly those heavily engaged in exporting. [6793/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Brexit has, and will continue, to present challenges for the Irish agri-food sector, in particular for Irish exporters to the British market.

This is why the Government, my Department and I continue to engage extensively with Irish agri-food stakeholders on issues related to Brexit and the changing EU-UK trading environment.

Since the UK decision to leave the EU was announced, there have been 26 meetings of the Department’s Industry Stakeholder Consultative Committee.

This Committee is comprised of representatives of all stakeholders in the agri-food supply chain, and provides the sector with the opportunity to engage with me and with my Department on issues of concern, as well as to share information with Government on the challenges they are facing in meeting the new requirements for trading with the UK market.

My Department also has a wide range of public information campaigns to inform industry of Brexit related changes and issues. The current campaign is focused on ensuring Irish food exporters are prepared to meet new UK import requirements which will come into force on a phased basis during 2022.

This engagement with stakeholders includes detailed information webinars, trader notices, national media campaigns and dedicated training programmes on the new requirements.

There is also ongoing and intensive one-to-one local engagement between individual food businesses who are exporting to Britain and their Department-led veterinary supervisory teams.

This is aimed at refining the relevant business processes to meet the new UK import requirements, in particular the export certification requirements which will begin to come into force from 1st July 2022.