Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne welcomes conclusion of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve negotiations and confirmation of over €1bn to Ireland

Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD, has warmly welcomed the conclusion of negotiations at EU level on the Commission proposal for an allocation of over €1bn to Ireland from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, which was set up to help member states most affected by Britain's departure from the EU.

Minister Byrne said:

'I'm delighted that negotiations have concluded and an agreement has been reached on the allocation of over €1bn to Ireland from the total €5.4 billion, Brexit Adjustment Reserve. This is an act of solidarity from other EU member states to help us deal with the obvious negative effects of Brexit.

'The Irish Government has been relentless in maintaining the argument that allocation of this fund should reflect the countries most affected by Brexit. We have worked tirelessly on this for many months. For my own part, I have had bilateral meetings with my EU counterparts, discussions with MEP's, spoken on it at the General Affairs Council and recently travelled to Portugal to engage with the Presidency on the matter. The officials in the department and in the Permanent Representation in Brussels deserve high praise and gratitude for what they have delivered here.'

Minister Byrne continued:

'The Taoiseach Micheál Martin negotiated this fund at the European Council in July 2020 ensuring Ireland's interests were protected. This funding from the Commission is much needed by the sectors and areas most negatively affected by Brexit and will go to Paschal Donohoe and Michael McGrath to manage at Cabinet level.'