1st March 2019
Limerick, Ireland, 1st March. The Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen TD, today (Friday 1st March) called on Irish businesses to step-up their efforts to prepare for Brexit.
Speaking at an event, hosted by the Health and Safety Authority, on “Brexit and the Implications on Supply and Use of Chemicals, Machinery and Products in Irish Businesses“, in association with the Shannon Chamber of Commerce and the Limerick Chamber of Commerce, Minister Breen said with Brexit just weeks away, it is essential that businesses identify potential Brexit impacts and develop a plan to mitigate them.
The aim of the Brexit seminar was to inform Irish businesses who use and supply chemicals, of the possible implications of Brexit on their business and to highlight specific issues that may arise after Brexit in relation to supply and use of machinery and other products.
While the Government is keenly aware of the huge levels of uncertainty in the UK that face businesses and, particularly, given the uncertainty of the final shape of Brexit, Minister Breen highlighted three key actions that business should take:
- Scrutinise your existing supply chains for risk of exposure when the UK leaves the EU. If any part of your supply chain, whether a product, ingredient, component or a service, is fully or partly dependent on the UK (including Northern Ireland), then your supply chain could be affected.
- Check to understand if your responsibilities will change after Brexit. If you continue to import from the UK, you may also become the EU importer with additional legal responsibilities for compliance of the relevant products / ingredients / components with EU laws.
- Check what new customs procedures will apply to you after Brexit and decide if you plan to handle customs procedures yourself or whether you use a customs agent or broker.
The Minister recommended that businesses engage now with the range of Government supports available through the Health and Safety Authority, Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland as well as the 31 Local Enterprise Offices.
Minister Breen said that Brexit, in whatever form it ultimately takes, will involve significant change in the trading environment for Irish businesses.
The Minister said that his advice to businesses is to “take action now, our Agencies stand ready to work with you to help you prepare for Brexit.”.
ENDS
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) plays a key role in implementing the Government’s policies of stimulating the productive capacity of the economy and creating an environment which supports job creation and maintenance. The Department also has a remit to promote fair competition in the marketplace, protect consumers and safeguard workers.
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