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

Go raibh maith agat a Chathaoirligh agus cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I agree with a lot of what everybody has said and I particularly welcome the Minister's comments. The frictionless Border is a real economic Border, if it is there at all. The point is that if there is any tariff, no matter what that might be or whether it is imposed electronically or physically, it is still a division. Brexit is really dividing our country economically in a new and different way. It will be profoundly traumatic for people North and South, but particularly for those living along either side of the Border.

I know we cannot make policy here today and I am not suggesting that we should. It seems to me, however, that a lot of product manufactured in the North ends up in the South and vice versa. If we could at the very least have a tariff-free regime for products which originate either in the North or South, but which are not exported outside the island, it would allow for farming produce, Guinness and other products to be traded freely. It would require such products to be technically certified as tariff-free, with only the occasional check on manifests.

When the Assembly election is over, it will be hugely important for parties North and South to reach a consensus. I know that there will not be an agreement on the constitutional issue but, post-2020, there will be infrastructural plans North and South. We can provide funding for our end of it through the capital expansion programme, but the North will have difficulties because it will have to obtain funding from the UK.

It is important in our discussions with the United Kingdom and the European Union that we can plan beyond that point. The Minister could say that his capital programme, which he will announce shortly, will dovetail in respect of health benefit in the way it is happening between Donegal and Derry, and transport. We could have all those matters planned and ready to go and get a consensus through the North South Ministerial Council if we can. We will have to make provision here for our contribution to those programmes. If the North does not get the money and if it cannot get it from the EU where are we?

I welcome the engagement we are having today. The most important issue is our ports but some of the comments today sound as if we are finding a way to get around having to use the North. I am not suggesting people are implying this. Products come into Warrenpoint and Drogheda that go North and South and there will be a negative transformation for one of those ports if we do not solve those problems. We have to give a commitment in the South not to take business from the North. There is no future in that. We have to plan for working together.

The Minister said that North-South programmes can only be implemented successfully with full co-operation and this needs to be understood by everybody. We need to respect not just the letter but also the spirit, what does that mean?