Professor Christopher McCrudden:

I understand that. The problem the Senator identifies is a real one. I would encapsulate it by asking how far the hard economics of this will be tempered in Brussels by a sense of what I can only describe as solidarity with Ireland.

I am afraid I have no idea which is going to win out. If it is purely based on hard economics, each of the points being made by the Senator is entirely valid. We are where are. I did not vote for this and I did not want it. As I stated at the beginning, it is something I would want to reverse if I could but it is not, apparently, going to be reversed. The question is whether, therefore, in light of that Brussels is going to punish the UK and, in doing so, punish Ireland for something for which it was not responsible in the first place. I hope that wiser counsels will prevail that will recognise the need for solidarity in the first place with Ireland, as well as the need to preserve the peace. There is a sense in Brussels that can be picked up that there is a degree of pride that European capitals were involved with underpinning the peace agreement. The last thing I hope Brussels, Berlin or Paris wants is a return to the terrorism in Northern Ireland. I do not want to appear to be sabre-rattling and there is a danger in using the whiff of cordite to try to threaten; that is not what I am doing and I hope I would not be interpreted as doing that. In order to be responsible, one needs to play down these threats although they are a reality. If there are Border posts, the Senators living around there know that in the past, in the 1950s, the Border posts were the target. It was as simple as that. We have photographs to prove that and it is all in the archives. I cannot imagine it is anything other than the crassest lack of responsibility for any capital to risk going back to that when we have a working arrangement in Northern Ireland. We hope it will work even better in future with regard to devolved government. We cannot sacrifice that.