Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will make a political point about the citizens' assembly. We are in a citizens' assembly. Notwithstanding the Government's decision, we have received a mandate from the people regarding governance and decisions, so we are well equipped by virtue of that mandate - and its diversity - to deal with the issue.

I am worried about the number of Irish personnel serving in EU and international institutions. I know there is a specific job to be done and the Department is working on that. When the United Kingdom exits the European Union, the number of staff with English as a first language will decrease significantly, so there is scope for Irish people to take up the slack. I hope we will be strategic in that respect.

Are all the case files in the Chief State Solicitor's Office being managed and is it being done in a timely fashion? Is there much of a backlog in the office and are enough resources being allocated there?

I am very conscious of the time but I will speak about Brexit. I do not know why Mr. Tusk refused to meet the Scottish First Minister. I recognise some concerns were raised by the Spanish Prime Minister, who is a member of the European People's Party, of which the Taoiseach's party is also a member. There may have been some issues relating to how Scotland is not recognised as a state but rather as a region. One can consider the political issue of Brexit and that Northern Ireland voted overwhelmingly to stay within the European Union, as did Scotland. The question did not arise for Ireland. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is an avowed Brexiteer and the First Minister of Northern Ireland has a very explicit position on the UK's membership of the European Union. That presents a serious challenge for us, particularly in ensuring there is a negotiated position that does not leave us weakened economically as a result of the decision by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. I wish the Taoiseach well in the coming months with the economic diplomacy that will have to be gone through, as well as the political diplomacy. Anglo-Irish relations have never been as good as they are now, arguably, and I would like to get a sense from the Taoiseach now or in future as to how we will address the political conundrum of ensuring that once there is a new British Prime Minister we can up the ante in that diplomatic onslaught. At this stage I acknowledge the role of our ambassador in the United Kingdom, Mr. Dan Mulhall, as well as the role of the consulate in Edinburgh in ensuring we did everything we could to encourage Irish people in the United Kingdom to vote on the referendum. In future there should be a mechanism to ensure the terms of trade are enhanced and we do not become disadvantaged due to the potential of the United Kingdom to lower its corporation tax and VAT rates, for example, making us even less competitive for inward investment. It is a political point but I want to put it on record.