Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am not normally a member of this committee but I am delighted to be here. The session has probably been one of the most important if not the most important sessions to be held here in respect of the Border. I was a councillor for 12.5 years in the Dublin region and as Seanad candidates we go around the country. I was in Cavan recently and I have been in Louth. One can see the seamless Border that exists now. Only when one's phone shows O2 UK and the speed limits are in miles rather than kilometres does one realise one has crossed the Border.

We do not have enough time today for a question and answer session. I thank all the representatives for their commitment in turning up here today and giving their detailed statements.

It is very important that they indicate in the Houses of the Oireachtas the position they are in and the position that has to be dealt with. I was on the old Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly and more recently the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, which includes County Louth. Its chief executive, Ms Martin, was the designated chief executive to that regional assembly when I was there and still is. We became even more aware of the situation as a result of having to appoint people to the PEACE programme and to various INTERREG programmes. There are other Ireland-Wales ones with which we are also familiar. It is important that the European Union understands the position the Border corridor is in and equally that it understands Ireland's position.

I thank all the representatives for being here. I will allow every other public representative to have a few minutes. My understanding is we have to be out of here by 4 p.m. I thank all the representatives for travelling such great distances and for putting so much work into their contributions. I might contact some of them individually and separately. If any of them wants to contact me or my colleagues, please do so. We are available by email and phone. I know many of them from the time when I was a councillor. The work they do is invaluable and I thank them all for their attendance.