SFA welcomes UK vote for Article 50 extension

Responding the to the UK Parliament’s vote on the possible Article 50 extension SFA Director Sven Spollen-Behrens said: “A long extension to the Article 50 process is now needed to safeguard against the untold damage of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit on 29 March. An extension will hopefully allow the UK Parliament to reach a consensus on the way forward.

Feedback from SFA members suggests that small business owners’ intention to invest in their businesses has declined over recent months. Given the current extended uncertainty, it is to be expected that small firms will continue to be cautious about planning, investment and hiring decisions. This will remain the case until there is more certainty of what the final relationship between the EU and UK will look like.

In the meantime, the SFA calls on the Irish Government to step up preparedness planning by putting in additional measures to support small firms prepare for Brexit”, continued Spollen-Behrens.