114. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the preparations her Department is making in the event of there being a hard Brexit, in particular following Michel Barnier's comments on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48895/17]

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Minister Coveney has responsibility for coordinating the whole-of-Government response to Brexit. In this capacity, he is working closely with his colleagues across Government to address the many challenges resulting from Brexit. This cooperation also involves the relevant State Agencies.

Work at Cabinet level is being prepared through cross-Departmental coordination structures. These represent a frequent and active channel through which the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and all relevant Departments are providing their research, analysis and overall policy input to the Government’s wider response to Brexit, including its priorities for the ongoing Article 50 negotiations between the EU and the UK.

As the outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain, an important focus of the planning and preparation being undertaken through these structures is on deepening the Government’s analysis and understanding of the exact consequences of a range of different possible scenarios. This represents an intensification of efforts to build on the Government’s contingency planning.

On 9 November, I published “Building Stronger Business: Responding to Brexit by competing, innovating and trading”. This paper sets out work underway and planned by the Department of Business, Enterprise & Innovation and its Agencies in response to Brexit.

The paper summarises impacts of Brexit across key policy areas within the Department and outlines the policy and operational mitigation measures underway and planned by the Department and its Agencies to minimise risks and maximise opportunities associated with Brexit, including supports available to companies to help them prepare for Brexit. It also describes the research programme designed to inform that response as well as new structures put in place to ensure a coherent approach across my Department and its Agencies.

Clearly, a disorderly exit would be very damaging, particularly for Ireland, and Michel Barnier’s recent call for EU Member States to plan for such a contingency is fully in line with the Government’s approach.

The Deputy will be aware of the various research projects underway in my Department to help build an understanding of the possible implications of Brexit on Ireland for enterprise, consumers and trading relations. These studies examine a range of scenarios and will provide an evidence base to inform Ireland’s policy positions as part of the wider negotiation on the UK’s future relationship with the EU and further mitigation measures to respond to Brexit. The research projects considering a hard Brexit scenario are:

* Project being carried out by InterTrade Ireland in consultation with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation

** Project being carried out by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in consultation with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation