The Irish Government has said it intends to intensify no-deal preparations in the wake of the UK parliament rejection of the Brexit deal. Legislative measures have been discussed at Cabinet level and will continue to progress over the coming weeks. A disorderly Brexit is a bad outcome for everyone Although the Government has said it regretted the UK parliament’s decision, it insisted that the agreed upon Withdrawal Agreement “is not open for renegotiation”. “The Irish Government recognises, however, that a disorderly Brexit is a bad outcome for everyone, not least in Northern Ireland,” the Government stated. “It is not too late to avoid this outcome and we call on the UK to set out how it proposes to resolve this impasse as a matter of urgency.” A vote of no confidence in the current UK government leadership is to go ahead on the evening of 16 January. Brussels IFA president Joe Healy is travelling to Brussels to meet EU Commissioner Phil Hogan to seek commitment on support measures for Irish farmers as the possibility of a no-deal Brexit draws closer. “Some of our sectors – beef, dairy, mushrooms – will be very badly exposed and will require significant financial assistance,” Healy said. Dicing with a cliff-edge Brexit “The prospect of a crash-out Brexit is a serious threat, which would be catastrophic for farmers on the two islands and hugely damaging to the interests of consumers. Dicing with a cliff-edge Brexit is madness for everybody.” Collateral damage The Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA) stated that Ireland was facing “severe collateral damage” and that the Irish Government would now have to get a deal from Europe to support farmers. "It is now urgent that the Government undertakes a concerted push to get EU agreement on special measures to underpin the beef sector,” ICSA president Patrick Kent said. A special package to buy displaced Irish beef into emergency storage "The key issue is to find a temporary home for beef exports normally destined for the UK market, in the event of a no-deal Brexit. While we must remain hopeful that common sense will prevail, we must prepare for the worst." "A special package to buy displaced Irish beef into emergency storage or intervention is the minimum required. This is not just in Ireland's interest; it is also essential to avoid catastrophic disruption of the entire EU beef market." Read more We must keep our nerve on Brexit – Creed Analysis: vote in UK parliament brings no-deal a step closer
The Irish Farmers Association and Irish Cattle and Sheep Association have called on the government to minimise the impact of a potential no-deal Brexit on Ireland’s agriculture industry. In an open letter published in today’s Sunday Independent, they say that if Britain leaves without any deal, it will be “disastrous” for Ireland as well as other EU countries. The dairy and mushroom sector have also been highlighted as particularly vulnerable to a no-deal Brexit.