Mr. P.J. O'Hanlon:

On behalf of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Border Corridor Local Authority Group, I thank members for the invitation to address the Seanad Special Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. Our delegation comprises the chairpersons, mayors, vice chairpersons and chief executives of all of the local authorities in the Border corridor. It is not only a cross-Border delegation but also a community delegation. Its size reflects how important the issue is not just for local authorities but for all of us who live and work along the Border corridor.

There is no doubt that the Ireland-Northern Ireland Border area will be affected most by Brexit, after which the Border will become a gateway both into and out of the European Union. While the position remains uncertain, there is a strong indication that the United Kingdom will exit both the Single Market and the customs union. From discussions with MEPs, it is very clear that if that is the case, the European Union will need to protect its market and thus enforce controls at the Border, which no one wants to see happen. Controls at the Border will impact negatively not just along the Border but on the island of Ireland as a whole.

Local authorities along the Border corridor recognised very quickly after the referendum on 23 June 2016 that there would be an impact on the people of the region. They worked with local authority-led cross-Border groups, East Border Region, the ICBAN and the North West Regional Development Group to present a stronger and more coherent case on the impact on the Border region. It soon became clear, however, that despite there being different challenges and opportunities, depending on the area of the Border in which one lived, Brexit presented a common challenge for all of the people of the region. Without a government in Northern Ireland and with negotiations taking place between Brussels and London directly, local authorities felt it necessary to champion the needs of the Ireland-Northern Ireland Border region and the Border corridor response to Brexit began. The memorandum of understanding between the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Louth County Council facilitated by East Border Region was a catalyst for our engagement and all Border councils readily came on board in November last year.

Our first task was to commission a study to begin to explore what the actual impact of Brexit might be along the corridor. This was not an easy task, considering the huge uncertainty about what Brexit actually meant. The Ulster University economic policy centre was appointed to undertake a piece of work on behalf of all Border councils to explore the risks, opportunities and issues to be considered. The study was completed in February and a major event entitled, Brexit and the Ireland / N Ireland Border Corridor: What next for Local Government and Business?, was held on 4 May in Lough Erne Resort. A total of 148 delegates from all of the local authorities and representatives of chambers of commerce were in attendance and the delegates endorsed a Border corridor approach.

Our aim today is to highlight the needs of the Border corridor and stress two overarching strategic points which emanated from our initial study of it, the first of which is that Brexit will impact on all aspects of the economy of the region. An economic border post-Brexit would be disastrous for it. Mr. John Kelpie, chief executive of Derry City and Strabane District Council, will outline the key elements of this contention. The second point is that Brexit will impact on the people and communities living in the Border corridor. The Good Friday Agreement must be protected during the Brexit negotiations, a point I cannot emphasise as much as I want to. Ms Joan Martin, chief executive of Louth County Council, will present our findings in this respect. Councillor Stephen McCann, a member of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, will provide a summary of the position in the Border corridor.