Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the ambassador for his detailed and thorough presentation and congratulate him on the achievements thus far of the Slovak Presidency. I wish it well in its final months. I propose to raise three issues. I will not lie; I was slightly disappointed by some of the comments made by Prime Minister Fico on Brexit. In our discussion in private session before the ambassador joined us, Brexit emerged as the most pressing issue facing the European Union, especially Ireland. Members are very concerned that the special position of Ireland in having a land border with the United Kingdom and various cultural and economic ties with Britain may get lost in the negotiations on Brexit. I ask the ambassador to ensure that this is borne in mind when Article 50 is triggered and negotiations begin.

I am delighted that the first priority of the Slovak Presidency is to strengthen the European Union economy. How does the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP, fit into this discussion? I fear that after the 14th round of negotiations in July and the forthcoming presidential election in the United States, concerns about transparency and the increasing opposition to TTIP, especially in Germany and France, could leave the partnership dead in the water. This would be a great opportunity missed. The ambassador correctly noted the importance of trade agreements, especially with third party countries.

On the digital single market, how will the European Union overcome the issue of access to countries outside the EU, including China, one of the Union's major partners but one which enforces tight censorship laws? How can this be factored into the overall strategy for developing the digital single market.