Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the committee for the opportunity to attend today. As a member and Vice Chairman of the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, it was good to hear the ambassador's and the Chairman's opinions on trying to assimilate views on the issue.

I appreciate the ambassador's bona fides and appreciate his accessibility in terms of discussing this issue. Today is not the first time that we have met and engaged in a discussion. Other members have made a similar comment.

From the point of view of Twenty-six Counties, all of the sectors have prepared a paper on the impact of Brexit. The ambassador mentioned in his presentation that he attended the Ceann Comhairle's Brexit meeting in the Mansion House and I attended the same meeting. Many of us attended the two civil dialogue or break-out meetings on the various sectors. I have no doubt that we in Ireland have identified an awful lot of the problems but I am not sure that the UK has fully realised the problems with Brexit. I ask the ambassador to comment on the matter in his concluding remarks.

I understand diplomacy and talking a great deal but now it is time to find solutions. The process to date is like a poker game. People have kept their cards close to their chests in an effort to get the best outcome for England and Ireland. Indeed, everyone wants a slice of the cake and to get the best outcome for their country. The only clear message that I have gathered from the toing and froing is that the EU has said it has asked the UK and Irish Governments to come up with what the EU has described as unique and imaginative solutions that are compatible to the remaining EU members.

I have already said that where a vacuum is created, space is provided for those who want to fill that vacuum for their own gains. I am deeply concerned about that as someone who has lived along the Border and been involved in politics for 25 years. Can the ambassador give me examples of where there is common ground in terms of unique and imaginative solutions? I will speak briefly about one area to which Deputy Crowe and others have already referred, namely, the importance of the agricultural industry. Regardless of the outcome, the protection of our green image in agricultural terms in two different jurisdictions would require a magic wand. It is my view that there must be a special solution on a 32 county basis for that issue alone, not to mention the other sectors. I ask the ambassador to give his honest opinion on a solution because I have heard absolutely no solution from the British side on any issue.