Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will do my best, Chairman. It is difficult. I thank the witnesses. Both of their presentations show what we know, which is how complex this will be. It could lead us down any avenue. I will try to restrict myself to specific questions, the first of which is what does Britain want? My understanding from meetings is that it has no idea what it wants. I do not mean that in a condescending way, but it does not. I do not believe the Brexit Theresa May wants is possible and I also do not believe her when she says that no agreement is better than a bad agreement. What are the chances, and this is not wishful thinking, of Britain re-thinking this and coming back from the edge during the negotiations? We were given a very stark presentation from the aviation sector. In that case a deal would have to be done, probably within the next year, to facilitate open skies and to allow sales of tickets into 2019. These things are coming down the track and UK airlines might not be able to land in the EU. That is one element.

Do the witnesses believe a new UK-Ireland or Anglo-Irish agreement is needed after the Good Friday Agreement? I have been critical that the architecture of the Good Friday Agreement has not been used to its potential. Either we ramp that up or a new agreement is required.

There are many more questions I could ask but I am conscious of the time. The two-speed Europe piece interests me in particular. There is a sense that Ireland walks a very fine line in that it will not be used as a Trojan Horse, that is, to advocate for a good British deal while our European colleagues are looking at us and wondering which side of the table we are on. Ireland walks a fine line in that regard, and I picked that up in Brussels in numerous meetings I had there. Our situation not just economically, but also politically and diplomatically, is even more difficult than that of the British, once they figure out what they want. They say they want to leave. We are trying to maintain a good relationship with a good neighbour and partner, so there is a chance of the isolation of Ireland within the European Union.

I could ask about 20 more questions but I will leave it at that. I thank the witnesses for their presentations. They referred to many of the points that concern me. The final question is how easy it is to persuade hard Brexiteers. I do not believe one can. This is a sovereignty grab and it is immigration based. It is a view they have of a perceived problem with immigration. I say "perceived" because it should not be a problem for most British people, but it is a post-colonial issue as opposed to a European issue. However, one cannot convince them of that. Some of them just want out and do not care about the consequences.