Sinn Féin spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform Mairéad Farrell TD has called on Minister Michael McGrath to outline how he plans to allocate the €1.05 billion Ireland will receive as part of the Brexit Adjustment Fund. 

This money is aimed at countries and sectors worst-hit by Brexit. The government has identified their key target areas as fisheries, enterprise supports; agri-food sector supports, reskilling and retraining, and infrastructure for the ports and airport.

Teachta Farrell said:

“I welcome the fact that Ireland is set to receive the most sizable amount from the €5.3 billion fund, as we are clearly the state which has been most negatively impacted. 

“I also welcome the fact that Minister Donohue has said that we are now much closer to seeing the funds disbursed in 2021. 

“But we are still in the dark as to how the government plans to allocate this money.

“In January, Minister McGrath stated that ‘in the coming weeks’ he would ‘set out how we will maximise the benefit of the BAR for Ireland’, but we are still awaiting his plans.

“Last week, he said that the money would go to support employment, businesses and local communities negatively affected by Brexit, including in the fishing industry. But no specifics were provided. There is no doubt that these are deserving sectors. 

“With the Dáil set to go on recess shortly, the Minister should outline his plans before then, in order to give these hard-pressed sectors some certainty as they try to deal with the fallout of Brexit.”