Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Temple-Smithson to the committee.

A very important point was raised by Deputy Crowe. Although it may have a property nearby, I have never attended the European Parliament Information Office since it moved away from the Oireachtas. I am sure this is true for a lot of people. I think the witness's colleagues should look at that situation.

I was in London with the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly on Monday and Tuesday with the MPs and Lords in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Brexit debate was taking place in the House of Lords. It is full steam ahead as far as Britain is concerned. By 30 March, Article 50 will be invoked. We have intense negotiations and discussions taking place. Ireland will play a pivotal role in this regard. Ireland's interests must be protected in the negotiations. It is not the witness's responsibility. It is very important to inform the other member states of the situation we are in due to the decision by the British Government to leave the European Union. We joined with the United Kingdom in 1973. We negotiated separately, yet we joined on the same day. We joined under certain terms at the time and we are not leaving. We want to ensure an arrangement is put in place to ensure the departure of the United Kingdom will not be detrimental to the Republic of Ireland.

When we are exporting to mainland Europe, it is vital that we have complete free access through the United Kingdom without any levies or tariffs. That would be very much part and parcel of the agreement. It is absolutely based on the fact that there will hopefully no tariffs on exporting to the United Kingdom. There is deep concern regarding agriculture. It is of paramount importance that no such levies would apply to exporting to the United Kingdom. Our negotiators in the 27 countries will be taking a very active role in this regard. It is a time of great concern here. It is of great concern to the agricultural community, where prices are seeing an immediate drop, which is a very serious prospect for the future.

One clear point made in the House of Commons and House of Lords was that the free movement of people in the island of Ireland is of paramount importance and must and will be retained at all costs. No Irish Government will agree to the erection of barriers or customs posts between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. These issues were discussed in detail. The MPs and Lords indicated they very much support the free movement of people throughout the length and breadth of Ireland. They also support the preservation of the common travel area between the United Kingdom and Ireland. It has been there since 1923, long before the European Union. Those are the issues which are relevant at the moment. They are concentrating the minds of all Members of the Dáil and Seanad, the House of Lords and the House of Commons and, hopefully, members of parliament in the other 26 member states.