An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has revealed that the Government has initiated requests for emergency Brexit aid and cleared some actions for state aid approval with Brussels.

"We have already alerted the European Commission that we will seek emergency aid in the event of a no-deal Brexit," he told the IFA AGM on Tuesday night.

"The purpose of this aid would be to help cope with the impact on Irish trade, particularly for the beef, dairy and fishing sectors."

Referring to the EU supports made available to Baltic states in the wake of the Russian embargo in recent years, he said a combination of European intervention and storage aid, as well as restructuring grants and other state aids, were on the cards.

"We already have approval for rescue and restructuring and for businesses hit by Brexit," he said.

Brexit is the great political challenge of our time, and we have to hold our nerve

"Brexit is the great political challenge of our time, and we have to hold our nerve," he added.

"I cannot offer you the reassurance provided by certainty, but I can reassure you that until things are certain we will keep fighting your corner."

Earlier on Tuesday, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said a no-deal Brexit and the application of WTO tariffs would add €1.7bn to Irish exports into the UK market.

The minister called the situation an "existential challenge."

Pledge

Pledging support to beef farmers, An Taoiseach said the Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) weighing scheme would open by the end of February.

Acknowledging criticism for his comments on reducing meat in his diet, he still warned farmers that conversations on diets and climate change are taking place all over the country.

"We should never deny science. There is no future for us in that," he said.

On climate change targets, "we need to catch up much quicker," he said, calling on farmers to identify measures that could cut emissions without hitting their income.

An Taoiseach also promised to continue efforts to defend the CAP budget at EU level after 2020.

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