Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The witnesses are welcome to this debate on the serious situation in which we find ourselves. The Irish Government and most people in the Republic were very concerned about the result of the referendum as they wanted Britain to remain in the EU. It has happened now, and Britain will leave. The Prime Minister has said that Brexit means Brexit, but what exactly does Brexit mean? I do not believe the political establishment in the United Kingdom understands what it means.

Committee A of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly had a meeting with Professor Michael Dougan, who is head of European law in the University of Liverpool, and what he said was very worrying. He said that regardless of what happens, there are actions that simply cannot be done. People are talking about trade agreements and freedom of movement but he said there are things that cannot be done and that Europe will not be putting the boot in to the United Kingdom, but I do not believe people fully realise the position in which we find ourselves.

In terms of the island of Ireland, how do the witnesses believe the Border will work?

Will there be a border in the Irish Sea, with the effect that people will need to use their passports to get to the United Kingdom? With modern technology, is there some way of policing a border? We cannot allow a hard border to occur again between Northern Ireland and the Republic. I am totally against that.