Dr. Anthony Soares:

I thank the Deputy for his kind words about the work of our two organisations. He is absolutely right that enormous progress has been made economically and socially through what has been achieved under the Good Friday Agreement and the peace and reconciliation process. The name of this committee tells us something. The implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is an ongoing process that is continually implemented. We continually have to look after the peace and reconciliation process in terms of its formal institutions but also, which is important, the soft structure that enables the operation of the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement. The UK's departure from the EU has the potential to undermine and suck away at the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement. We have to work hard to make sure that does not happen.

On the question of the hard or soft Border, the Deputy is right. Any introduction of controls on trade will be a burden on business, which will reduce the competitiveness of businesses North and South of the Border. It also means that those costs will have to be passed on to someone else, which is the consumer. It will have implications for businesses North and South. We hope that in its negotiations with the Commission and the other member states the UK Government adopts an approach that will ensure there is some way the UK will retain access to the Internal Market and at least be within the customs union. That will still mean costs to business.

The Deputy mentioned his interactions with ambassadors from the other European Union member states and said they are keen to find out the Irish Government's position and its view on the future. I cannot characterise the situation in general but I get the sense there is increasing antipathy towards the UK Government from some member states and from particular sections of some member states. Other member states are keen to see that what happens with the Border is positive. The Deputy is absolutely right that the Irish Government, as an EU member state, should make sure that when it addresses the Commission and the other member states it secures its own interests and its particular circumstances. The Deputy is absolutely right that as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process, the EU has invested financially and politically, which is a positive in terms of how we move forward. The EU and other member states who were so closely involved in ensuring the peace process progressed positively are not ready to give it up so easily. That is a positive thing we have to work on together.