Mr. Alex Baird:

I am vice chairman of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. I am part of the delegation of the Border council. The presentation is about Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland relationships and issues, rightly so; that is why we are here.

Solutions have been suggested and great references have been made to the implementation of all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement, with all of which I agree. However, I am concerned that one solution could cause another problem. Senator Paul Daly commented on what I had previously written before he spoke, and I wish to respond. One problem that I foresee arising relates to the relationship in movement between Northern Ireland and the Great Britain mainland and the movement of traffic via the Republic of Ireland through Northern Ireland over to the GB mainland. We cannot have a restriction on movement between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, that is to say, a border at the ports at Warrenpoint, Larne and Belfast or at the airports of City of Derry, Belfast International or Belfast City. We cannot have reciprocal barriers on the UK mainland.

Reference was made to the Good Friday Agreement. The sovereignty aspect of the Good Friday Agreement is rarely referred to but from where I sit on the political spectrum, it is extremely important and that would affect it.

Special status for Northern Ireland was adverted to by Senator Paul Daly. My view would be possible consideration for special status for the Republic of Ireland. There would be inevitable problems in respect of where the Border would be. However, from my position on the political spectrum – Senators may be able to guess from what I have said already but I have no wish to bring party politics into it - I do not want to see a solution to Northern Ireland-Republic of Ireland movement creating a problem that would be a problem for all of us.