Brexit No-Deal has massive influence on Ireland

Healy said it was time to look to what should happen after the vote, which resulted in a defeat for the Prime Minister Theresa May. “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,” he warned.

He said he would be travelling to Brussels for a meeting with EU Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan, at which he would be looking for firm commitments of Commission support for Irish farmers, who would feel the full force of a ‘no deal’ scenario.

He said, “It’s time for EU solidarity to be converted into tangible support. Some of our sectors – beef, dairy, mushrooms – will be very badly exposed and will require significant financial assistance”.

He further explained that the Irish & UK food supply chains are deeply integrated:  “We have grave concerns regarding the dangers of a ‘no deal’ outcome that would cause massive disruption to the normal trade flows between the two countries, on which farmers greatly depend for their livelihoods.”