Ms Sharon Keogan:

I thank members for allowing us to come to talk to them about the real problems we are facing in the Border region. We need the heavy hand of the Government to brave the future. It is very clear that from today councils and communities will not fail to innovate and adapt to meet the complex challenges presented by Brexit. It is also very clear that we are not turning solely to the Government to solve the problems. We have come together from all political backgrounds and Border regions to work collectively to find solutions. Doing nothing is simply not an option for those of us who will be affected by Brexit.

Governments, be they EU member state governments or the UK Government, may present solutions as if they are gifts to the people of the region, but once deals are done, they proceed to saddle communities with a slew of regulations, mandates, taxes, tariffs, quotas, subsidies and penalties. We do not want significant changes made to the lives of the people involved in businesses or the communities we represent. Listening to our colleagues in Dublin City Council, it has become more evident that the challenges are faced by all of us. Our level of preparedness is crucial to find pathways to solutions. The cross-Border group very much wants to be part of the collective solutions so as not to sell citizens on the entire island short. We would like to know what role, if any, we can play in negotiating our way forward.