Mr. James Healy:

I will address the second part of Senator Craughwell's question first. If we had a clean canvas, ideally the UK would not leave at all but obviously that is not going to happen. The IFA has said that ideally the UK would at least stay within the customs union, a position with which we concur. That would maintain an equivalence of standards to a very large degree and would ensure that there are no tariffs. From a trading point of view, it would make the picture an awful lot simpler. It would also limit the ability of the UK to go off and conclude trade deals with third countries, including those in South America, and would make such deals much less profitable. That would leave us in a much better position in terms of being able to retain our market share in the UK.

In terms of the first part of the Senator's question, staying in the customs union will not solve the educational part of the picture. There would have to be some sort of an arrangement between the EU 27 and the UK on education, as well as on other issues such as pensions and so forth. Some sort of agreement will have to be reached whereby students could still travel from country to country. We have UK students in Ireland and there are many Irish students in the UK, which is to the benefit of both countries.

Senator Daly asked about the point of view of the other EU member states. As it happens, myself and Mr. Derrie Dillon were at a meeting in Brussels yesterday of the Conseil Européen de Jeunes Agriculteurs, CEJA, the European young farmers organisation and Brexit did not even get a mention. It was only during conversations after the meeting that we were able to ask for their opinions. While Brexit is in the back of their minds, it is not something that is a priority for European farmers, except for those in the Netherlands who would also have a large amount of trade with the UK. They recognise that it will be important in time but at the moment it is not a priority for them. They are far more concerned about migration, terrorism and such issues. Unfortunately, Brexit is not on the list of priorities.

Reference was made to special status for Northern Ireland. We are concerned about Northern Ireland from the perspective of animal health because diseases and other environmental threats do not recognise lines on a map. If we are to continue to sell ourselves as a green island, to maintain our origin green status and to support the sustainability that we are marketing, we must have an all-island approach. That brings me to the question posed by Senator Black. A united Ireland might address some of the issues raised by Senator Daly, including the disparities between farmers north and south of the Border in terms of supports and access to markets but an all-island approach is more of a priority. The overall marketability of our product and the selling of Ireland as a green island comes back to issues of animal health, environmental standards and so forth. In terms of Senator Black's question on the environment, if there is an outbreak of disease or a slurry spill one side of the Border, the contaminated water will flow to other side of the Border. It is unfair for farmers on either side of the Border to have to suffer the consequences of something that may have arisen on the other side. At the moment Ireland is attempting to hold on to its derogation under the nitrates directive. Water quality and water quality management is a huge part of that.

If one was to separate North and South from that perspective, it makes it very difficult for farmers, particularly around the Border, to maintain water quality. They could suffer again for something not of their own making. That is why we believe it has a huge part to play.

Senator Daly mentioned that those in the UK still have to eat and that is why we do not want to give up our share of the market in the UK at all costs and them being part of the customs union is a red line issue that we have identified. The Senator said they still have to eat and we want to maintain competitiveness in the UK. If the UK is outside the customs union, the tariffs that will apply may make our produce less competitive and affect our market share. I agree with the Senator's remarks about new markets that might suddenly appear. I spent three weeks in China last year and, particularly with beef in mind, I know it is not something they would even think about eating. That is a major area of produce that will be affected by Brexit. The new markets will not solve our problems so it is about maintaining the best possible relationship with the UK from a trade perspective. That is how we will protect the incomes of farmers and, in turn, the quality of life for all people in rural communities.