Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Councillor O'Hanlon and Mr. McCann for this initiative and for their presentation; Mr. Kelpie and Ms Martin for taking the time to put this report together; and Mr. McAuliffe and Mr. Swift from Dublin City Council.

The format we have been using following presentations is to have a question and answer session. There are many public representatives here from all sides of the community and if those present agree, I propose to allow members of the committee to make short statements and then to open the floor to members of local authorities who have travelled here today and who may wish to put something on the record. This is an extremely important event because it represents the group most affected by Brexit. I have been in Brussels on several occasions and have just returned from a COSAC meeting. At every meeting I have attended, the Irish question has been raised. Last week in Malta, Mr. Barnier, Ms Hübner and all the speakers from the 27 countries spoke of the unique position of Ireland and how important it is to protect the Good Friday Agreement and, more importantly, freedom of movement across this island. I was extremely impressed. Nobody spoke against it. There is a massive amount of goodwill.

In this room today there are two members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, Senator Frances Black and me, who will report on this meeting to the committee. I assure Mr. McCann we will make representations to the Office of the Taoiseach to try to organise for him and Councillor O'Hanlon to meet him in order to get this across.