Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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122. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the discussions on Brexit preparedness at EU level; and if he contributed to same. [53187/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 124 to 128, inclusive, together.

A no-deal Brexit would mean that on 30 March the UK’s status under EU law would change from that of an EU Member State to that of a third country with no trade or co-operation agreements in place with the EU. The UK would no longer be subject to the corpus of EU law, known as the EU acquis. This would have profound political, economic, trade and legal implications for the UK, for Ireland and for the EU and other Member States.

Extensive and detailed Brexit preparedness and contingency work is being taken forward, co-ordinated by officials in my Department, working closely with the Department of the Taoiseach, across all Government Departments and Agencies.

Despite the European Union and the United Kingdom having settled a Withdrawal Agreement, the political situation in London is uncertain. We still hope for an agreed Brexit based on this deal, which was agreed by the UK Cabinet, and by 27 member states at the European Council. It includes compromises from both sides. However, we cannot take the UK ratifying it as a given and therefore it is only prudent for the Government to prepare for all scenarios.

Following an update last week on planning for Brexit, the Cabinet mandated that while work on Brexit preparedness for the central case scenario should continue, greater immediate priority must now be given to preparations for a disorderly Brexit and all Government departments should urgently take forward work on that basis.

As I stated in the Dáil last week, on Thursday we will make public additional information on this planning. This will be part of an ongoing process of public updates to take place over the coming months.

The Government has already taken a number of key decisions, based on a central case scenario, on measures to be put in place for the necessary checks and controls for trade on an East-West basis. Many of these measures are required in the range of Brexit scenarios but will need to take place at an accelerated pace to prepare for a ‘no deal’ Brexit. The recruitment of additional staff for customs and SPS controls, as well as ICT and infrastructure measures at our ports and airports has been sanctioned and implementation is under way. Various contingency measures, such as the rapid recruitment and redeployment of staff, and the use of temporary facilities, are under active planning for a disorderly Brexit scenario.

Budget 2019 set aside €115 million for a number of specific expenditure measures aimed at making Ireland Brexit ready. This includes €25 million for essential customs/SPS requirements including the recruitment of necessary staff in 2019, on the basis of the central case scenario.

Given that in a number of key areas for Ireland, the appropriate response and mitigation will be at the EU level, we are continuing to engage actively with the Commission on areas of priority for Ireland, including through a series of expert level meetings with the Commission and the EU27 on key issues on a weekly basis until mid-January.

The EU Commission acknowledged the particular impact of Brexit on Ireland and Irish business in its contingency planning communication of 13 November. This communication also outlined some of the EU’s plans for a no deal scenario, including in the areas of financial services, citizens’ rights, air transport, road transport, and customs/SPS requirements. This has further informed our own domestic planning.

Ireland is also working closely with the EU and fellow Member States to discuss and progress areas of key concern, including facilitating the use of the UK as a landbridge post Brexit.