Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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193. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount that was spent in 2021, in relation to the Brexit Adjustment Fund; the estimated total spend in 2022; and the breakdown of the drawdown from this fund by Department, disaggregated by current and capital in tabular form. [38396/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Brexit Adjustment Reserve came into force on the 11th of October 2021.

The eligibility period for expenditure runs from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2023.

Ireland’s allocation from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve is €1.065 billion in constant (2018) prices, equivalent to €1.165 billion in current prices, representing just over 20% of the total Reserve and the largest allocation for any Member State.

- €361.6 million received in 2021

- €276.7 million received in 2022

- Third tranche due in 2023

The allocation of resources from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve is aligned with the annual Estimates process, which has been the vehicle for allocating Brexit resources since the UK referendum on EU membership in 2016. Budget 2022 announced that around €500 million of the overall BAR allocation will be made available as a first tranche of funding, with the remainder available in 2023.

Areas for funding under the Reserve that have been identified include: enterprise supports; measures to support fisheries and coastal communities; targeted supports for the agri-food sector; reskilling and retraining; and checks and controls at ports and airports.

To allow Departments to proceed with programmes to be funded under the Reserve, some €54 million was allocated as initial funding in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2022.

Further allocations will be made as the impacts of Brexit are worked through, including by means of supplementary estimates as required. Work is continuing across Government, with all Departments examining measures that need to be taken.

For example, work is underway on the development of additional inspection facilities at Rosslare Europort. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is progressing the implementation of a range of schemes to address the financial impacts of Brexit across the agri-food sector. This includes schemes for the fisheries sector involving Brexit Adjustment Reserve support of up to € 143 million. State Aid approval is anticipated for further schemes.