Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for attending the Seanad's hearings. They are welcome. I also thank the Chairman and wish him well in his job. It is an important position. That we are meeting in the Seanad gives us a sense of the committee's importance. Establishing the committee was a decision of the Seanad. In time, we might tweak how we do our business.

In the meantime, I will stick to the topic, namely, the common travel area. I will make a few comments before asking three questions. The UK's decision to leave the EU presents unprecedented political, economic and diplomatic challenges to our peace and prosperity that we will be dealing with for months and years to come. This will be a slow, years-long process. These challenges will define the future of our island and our people for decades.

I read a document on Ireland's Brexit priorities that was circulated with our papers. I am glad that the four top designated issues are the future of the EU, the economy and trade, Northern Ireland and the peace process, and the common travel area. The document refers to the challenges of Brexit. No one in the Chamber underestimates those challenges. To be fair to parliamentarians, the Civil Service and the political establishment, we all know what the challenges are; we can keep rehearsing them, but it is important that we identify how best to move forward.

The Secretary General mentioned the all-island civil dialogue process. I acknowledge the good work that it and its stakeholders have done in preparing and feeding into the Brexit process and how we develop our priorities. They have made an invaluable contribution to discussions, including ours, on Brexit preparations. Arising from that extensive work, the document outlines important information.

I will raise a housekeeping issue before asking my three questions. It is important that, if this committee is to be effective, we communicate the message of what we are doing and have free-flowing engagement on our documentation, discussions, etc. The National Forum on Europe, of which I was a member for many years, is a model that worked well. The Department is familiar with it. The committee might consider its example of engaging with civil society and other groups in an open flow of information. Sometimes, we might as well be talking in a vacuum.

Will it be necessary to impose a border on travel? Where is the most practical point to impose that border, if required? Surely the witnesses have had thoughts on this matter. Given that Ireland does not participate in the Schengen Agreement, is there scope for us or the UK to operate a common visa or immigration system in our own right? Can we have a bilateral arrangement in that regard? The witnesses might tease out the logistics of these questions.

I welcome the witnesses. This is a good start. I wish the Chairman and the secretariat, which will support this forum, all the best.