Dr. Anthony Soares:

Perhaps, but I would suggest a UK Minister. There are suggestions and I have heard comments, including from people within Westminster, that people in Westminster, in London, are not aware of the circumstances of Northern Ireland. They might have heard of the Good Friday Agreement but how many people in Westminster, who have their own constituents and concerns, know much about it? They need to respond to the voice of their constituents. How much knowledge do they have of the Good Friday Agreement or of the our Border issues? Even some political representatives, South or North, who do not live close to the Border might not be that familiar with them either. There are some issues with which only people who come from the Border region are familiar.

There are legal implications in terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Although Brexit might bring some demands to redress the Agreement in some ways, of more concern is the possibility of a withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights, which is not an EU matter. That would have more serious legal implications for the Good Friday Agreement and for the Northern Ireland Act.