Marian Harkin on level playing field, UK land bridge, agriculture

Just four quick questions to the Tanaiste. First of all around the level playing field that we spoke of. If you look for example at the dairy sector and the processing on both sides of the border, which works very efficiently because of the different timetables of production. And we rely largely on the highest European standards to maintain our exports of baby milk formula etc to many countries. If there's any slippage there, Tanaiste, how do you propose to deal with this? Is there any crisis plan in place? Because without those high standards, some of our exports will be in trouble. My second question is around the UK land bridge. You spoke of this already. You've discussed it with Michel Barnier and we know it's absolutely vital. I just want to ask what plans are in place to ensure that this continues to function seamlessly. My third question relates to a recent study by UCD which shows that incomes will be down by £600 million in 2020 alone in the area of agriculture and food production. And that's before any Brexit. So what special measures are you looking at putting in place as a safety net for the industry post-Brexit? And a specific question again on agriculture relating to the sheep trade. We know that we need to maintain access to the French and the European markets. How can we guarantee that the UK won't use Ireland as a backdoor to access the French market? Thank you, Tanaiste. Yeah, just on the level playing field, I mean, the level playing field conditions obviously apply in terms of GB and Northern Ireland. But in the context of the protocol where there effectively is no ask for any form of border infrastructure or checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, that effectively means that food production in Northern Ireland has to operate to the same standards as the Republic. Otherwise, you're creating a completely skewed market, which I don't believe producers here will be able to stand over in terms of exports. So, you know, you take Lakeland Dairies, for example. I think up to close to 40% of their milk pool comes from Northern Ireland. And so we've got to maintain those standards. And if we're going to sell that product across the EU as EU products, then those standards have to be the same. And I think that's understood. In terms of the broader level playing field issues in the context of the UK as a whole and GB, that is a real challenge of these negotiations. Because at the moment, the UK are saying, forget it, we're not getting into a debate with you on level playing field across all these sectors and an overarching governance infrastructure to make sure that they're maintained. They're just effectively refusing to engage on that. And at the same time asking for facilitation in terms of a trade deal. And that's why the two rounds of negotiations so far have essentially got nowhere. And let's wait and see whether that approach changes somewhat next week. Hopefully it will, because really, you know, the UK, Ireland and the rest of the EU could do with some positivity and some certainty coming out of these negotiations, given the pressures that so many businesses are under right now in a COVID environment. And whether that changes the politics of brinkmanship, I'm not sure. But I hope it does. In terms of the land bridge, you know, I think it's important to say that I think the UK have been really quite helpful here. They have tried to be, and indeed other EU countries that we access the rest of the EU single market through have also been very helpful. You know, the UK have been willing to sign up to the International Transport Convention, which essentially allows us to seal a container in Dublin to drive that container across the UK and then on to France or to the Netherlands or wherever without having to break that seal. That's, at least in theory, how it's supposed to work. The challenges, though, of course, will be around the traffic jams and congestion around Dover Calais in particular, and whether or not Irish trucks that have come from Ireland will end up getting caught in the traffic of, you know, British haulers if there's a lot of checks required on that crossing, which is incredibly busy. And, you know, I think a lot of people are very concerned about that, and they'd be right to be, because the kind of infrastructure simply isn't there to be able to facilitate significant customs checks and SBS checks. And that's why we have worked with the shipping sector to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to be able to switch some of that traffic that would have relied on the land bridge in the past to actually have direct ferry routes into France and to Rotterdam and elsewhere. But the most efficient way to get product to Ireland is undoubtedly using the UK as a land bridge. It's the quickest and most efficient way to do it, and we will look to try to continue to do that as best we can. Incomes are down on agriculture linked to demand and confidence and market restrictions as a result of COVID. Absolutely, they are. I mean, if you think about fishing for a second, like our biggest markets for Irish fish are France, the UK, Spain, Italy and China. And, you know, you think about that list for a second and how those countries have been impacted by COVID-19, and you will begin to realise why there's such a challenge ahead for us in terms of rebuilding those markets. And it's a little different for agriculture, but not that different. So, of course, we're looking at how we can support these sectors to try to nurse them through this crisis period and out the other side when they can get stronger. Thank you.