Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The point I am trying to tease out today is one I have tried to tease out in the Chamber over the past few weeks. Everybody understands that the Government has a position to adopt, in particular prior to the triggering of Article 50. We all appreciate and recognise that it was a difficult time and we have now moved beyond that. Any negotiation requires one to adopt a negotiation stance and set objectives. We need to move beyond plans and towards action.

I agree with everything Mr. Ahern has said. I have had the privilege of representing the Short Strand in east Belfast and know well the tensions that could come about. That is why I asked Mr. Ahern whether he believed Brexit was a potential threat to the peace process.

I ask the Chairman to indulge me. Mr. Ahern touched on North-South bodies, which is a fine and interesting example of where there is potential for alteration, as said by the EU constitutional affairs committee. How does he envisage, for example, Tourism Ireland, as a North-South body established under the Good Friday Agreement, continuing to promote the island of Ireland if there is a hardening of the border? The issue of freedom of movement and everything else comes into play. It is possible that the Food Standards Agency would have two different arrangements around food safety. That is a hypothetical situation.

There is the possibility of potential alterations being made to the structural aspects of the Good Friday Agreement on a unilateral basis. We have yet to see how the negotiations will proceed, but a significant and influential committee of the EU Parliament has stated that the Good Friday Agreement will have to be altered as a result of Brexit. We may be too late. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade came before the House this week and said he hoped that would not happen, but it may happen as a result of Brexit. It is a cause of great concern.