Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Ewing and I are neighbours and many years ago, when environmental issues were not to the fore, he was always involved in these matters in north Roscommon and Leitrim. Therefore, it is nice to see him here today. We could dine out on Brexit for the next five years. Most of us have been at conferences for the last year and a half and it is nice to see the witnesses pushing an issue that has not been to the forefront. We have talked about agriculture and hard borders and education and financial and pharmaceutical tariffs. This divorce will be messy. What the delegates are doing, rightly so, is articulating the serious environmental issues on the island of Ireland and that is a voice that has not been heard. I think they are absolutely right. The Republic of Ireland is one of the 27 EU negotiating countries and we are going to be dealing with a very difficult situation. As far as my links to the United Kingdom go, I do not think that the political establishment, even now, has fully grasped the seriousness of the situation. I have dealt with fishermen in Killybegs who are very worried, as well as with farmers and exporters. The delegates are trying to make sure we as a committee make sure our negotiators among the 27 are acutely aware of the environmental implications of Brexit.

The delegates are right, the island of Ireland is a single geographical unit and has to be cared for in a consistent and co-ordinated way. Yesterday we had the Supreme Court decision to the effect that the ban on asylum seekers seeking work is unconstitutional. That will add another issue to the free travel area because it complicates things. In the next few months and years there will be many complicating factors and our job and that of the witnesses is to ensure their voice is heard. They are going about it the right way through the Government and this committee. There is an awful lot more work to be done across Europe in all of the other 27 countries and I know that the delegates have links there to make sure this very serious issue is addressed.

I thank the delegates for their statements. There are many competing forces and I hope I will not be seeing too many people in the next two years because this is going to go on and on and on. It might be self-indulgent but I would like to thank the Taoiseach, the Government and especially our negotiators, who have done a wonderful job in articulating the issues. I know that the delegates forked in through those very professional contacts to get their views but it is nice to hear it at this Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. I do not think the European Union has got full credit for its huge role in the Good Friday Agreement and in the peace process. We thank Bill Clinton and the United States but the European Union has provided continuous funding through all the structural programmes and has brought peace. It is no harm here today to acknowledge the role of the European Union and what it has done for the Good Friday Agreement.

I thank the delegates for bringing up issues of which I was not aware and it is nice to know about them. The people who will be making these decisions are our negotiators and we have to carry this up through the Government to the negotiators through the EU 27, to make sure the delegates' voices and ours are heard.