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The Department of Agriculture is banking on a soft Brexit scenario, where no changes will be needed to trade regulations on the island of Ireland.
Paul Savage, head of Brexit and international trade at the Department told a joint Oireachtas committee on agriculture on 6 November, that: “We’re operating on the basis that there will be no hard border on the island of Ireland.”
He went on to add that while the need for additional export certification wouldn’t be required that the Department had prepared additional staff and IT arrangements in case a pre-notification export system was put in place.
Vet regulations
Sinn Féin’s spokesperson for agriculture Martin Kenny raised concerns on potential changes to veterinary certificates and checks for livestock being traded across the border.
However, Savage stated that the Irish Government was “very much focused on achieving and agreeing a backstop” which would mean that “issues won’t arise in terms of friction with trade”.
We’re hoping to avoid tariffs
Addressing concerns regarding Ireland’s dependence on the UK as a beef export market, Savage said: “There will be changes regardless of what happens here…but we’re hoping to avoid tariffs.”
He pointed out that the UK was only about 60% self-sufficient in food and would still need to feed its population post-Brexit.
The European Commission was also very much aware of any beef trade implications a hard Brexit might have for Ireland, Savage said.
He cited concern from other member states that Irish beef that didn’t make it to the UK post-Brexit could appear on the market in the continent and have a “destabilising effect across member states”.
Responding to questions from Fianna Fáil’s Jackie Cahill on the viability of the €19bn FoodWise 2025 export target, Savage said that it was still achievable given the Department’s commitment to widening trade routes outside the UK market.
Land bridge
He also said that he was hopeful that the land bridge across the UK used by Irish hauliers to reach the continent would be less impacted as the UK has recently joined the Common Transit Convention.
“From our point of view, it’s a crucial point that the land bridge operates effectively,” Savage said, answering concerns that the trade of agricultural goods could be held up.
In July this year, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar committed to hiring roughly 1,000 customs and veterinary inspectors for the country’s ports and airports to be prepared in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
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