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Storm warning: how clear thinking kept Irish trade afloat

The Challenge

In 2020 Brexit posed serious threats to businesses in Ireland, particularly due to the uncertainty surrounding the nature of the UK’s departure from the EU. A major concern was the potential for a “no deal” Brexit which would have led to the immediate imposition of tariffs, customs checks and regulatory divergence between the UK and the EU. This was especially alarming for Irish exporters heavily reliant on the UK market, and for businesses integrated into cross-border supply chains. The UK’s exit from the Customs Union gave rise to an immediate tenfold increase in customs declarations, placing a major capacity and upskilling challenge for firms trading with or through the UK.

The Approach

By listening to key voices in the freight sector and through engagement with the Department of An Taoiseach, Skillnet Ireland CEO and Futurus Partner Paul Healy made the judgement that a major State-led effort was urgently needed in customs upskilling for the business sector in advance of the UK’s departure.
He built a rapid collaboration with the logistics, export and freight sectors, and with higher education providers, conceptualising a nationwide customs preparedness program and driving an appreciation at political level of the scale of the risks at play.

The Shift

Within six weeks, a proposal was delivered to Cabinet that secured a €4M investment to roll out the customs upskilling scheme Clear Customs. It served as the primary State initiative for boosting customs capacity for firms trading with or through the UK. Over 3,500 businesses were supported by Clear Customs, which proved pivotal in achieving the smooth movement of goods on and off the island on January 1st 2021, and of course thereafter.

What were the lessons?

1. Clarity Begins with Listening at the Edge
In a crisis, insight doesn’t come from the centre, it comes from those closest to the risk, those at the edge. Empathetic listening across sectors and developing an understanding of how the crisis actually ends enabled a grounded response, not a theoretical one.

2. Frame the Risk, Shape the Response
Leadership in uncertainty means pausing to hear the signal through the noise. Defining the customs challenge early, and framing it as a national risk, cut through the inertia and competing priorities, focusing the minds of decision makers.

3. Act Fast, Build Smart
Speed matters, but so does structure. The six week turnaround from concept to Cabinet wasn’t reactive, it was targeted, collaborative and executed with precision.

4. Leverage Credibility to Unlock Action
In complex systems, clear thinking needs a trusted voice. Long standing relationships and institutional credibility turned insight into influence, moving the system when it mattered most.