Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for their presentation which I read in advance. I want to raise a few questions, one of which they partially answered concerning the situation in eastern Europe. We have to face up to the possibility that there may be a hard Brexit. We should not put our heads in the sand and say it will not happen, despite all of the efforts we intend to make. Do the delegates see the rationale behind having a border such as the one they describe in their presentation - in Slovakia - as opposed to having every crossing open, given the economic effects, including smuggling, etc? When I first read their presentation, I thought they were advocating having a Frontex-type border. It was not until they developed the point that I understood what they had in mind.

My second question relates to the provision of EU funding for the agriculture sector. I chair a British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly committee on the economic effects of Brexit. When we were in Stormont last year, we met representatives of the farming organisations, among other groups. I have to say that on that day there was no clarity or understanding of where the €187 million required - the figure I have in my head - for single farm payments would come from post-Brexit and there was no concern among the representatives present that they would not receive it. I am, however, hearing a completely different message from the delegates, one which resonates with me more in terms of what I believe will happen. They might clarify the reason we are receiving one message from one representative group involved in the discussions and another from them.