Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join in the warm welcome to all of the representatives. They have made very interesting and informative contributions. I agree with the Acting Chairman in respect of the assurances we have been given from Michel Barnier and from the two Governments. Do the representatives have confidence in them? Negotiations have not started yet. Britain will be a full member for three years and probably for a lot longer with the transition period, which everyone now seems to accept will have to follow. A lot must happen in the negotiations. I accept Brexit is a damn nuisance. None of us wants it. We have always had to learn to live with currency volatility. The weakness of sterling is the thing that is impacting for us in the South. The representatives have had their concerns too, which we fully accept. Everyone has said there will continue to be a seamless Border. How effective are the guarantees we have? I accept that negotiations have yet to happen. Everybody accepts the Good Friday Agreement and the three strands must be fully protected. Many of the programmes with which the representatives are very concerned must continue. In the initial negotiations, a lot will depend on how much the British Government is prepared to yield. It will have to yield in negotiations in regard to the contributions it has made and is committed to continue to make. Much will depend on that. A little like the Acting Chairman, I am inclined to be optimistic although we have concerns which will continue. I have no doubt everything the representatives have said will be incorporated in the report of the committee and we will hopefully go forward with some confidence. Our resilience will not yield.