Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the two delegates and acknowledge their very important address and research and the clarity of their remarks. They have put their finger on the problems and how extreme they will be. The analysis of the Department of Finance is exceptionally clear, but its outlook is predicated on there being minimum intervention by the Government. It shows the worst possible scenario, but, nonetheless, a very stark one that we cannot allow to happen.

My question relates to what Dáithí O'Ceallaigh said about the excellent relationship for decades between the British and the Irish at both political and civil servant level. It seems the only way to address issues arising regarding a hard or a soft Brexit, or an invisible border, is to focus on the relationship that could be agreed to between Britain and Ireland, particularly concerning the common travel area, about which the delegates spoke. If the greatest danger is posed to the agrifood and agriculture sectors, it would be desirable for the British, the Irish and the Northern Irish to agree on a way forward together.

Turkey has a special relationship with the EU on some produce that can cross EU boundaries without any tariffs or penalties. We need to seek such an agreement in terms of our agriculture and other key exports. The advantage for the UK is that it needs good, high quality food. It needs it fresh and it needs it now. It needs a workforce that can speak English. We have a huge history of Britain being the destination for many of our emigrants and families. Therefore, there is a lot to build on. Do the witnesses think that is the only way we can really deal with this issue? Otherwise, the implication of Brexit, hard or soft, is the repartition of Ireland and the destruction of the economy, particularly in the North.

A total of 70% of the tourists that visit Northern Ireland reach the North through the Republic. Many issue such as that mean that Northern Ireland would suffer disproportionately as a result of Brexit. I do not know if the questions are clear to the witnesses. The big barrier to all of this is that there cannot officially be a negotiation between Britain and Ireland as such, but in actual fact the communications and discussions are ongoing every day. I would be interested in the views of the witnesses on those points.