Mr. Conor Keelan:

I thank members and East Border Region for organising this meeting. I am a member of Louth County Council and live on the old N1 between Dundalk and Newry. I was born in Newry and many members of my family live on both sides of the Border. My father was a cross-Border worker. The current position is quite bizarre and the past is something to which we all do not want to return. We come with a unified position as representatives of councils on both sides of the Border. We are in a unique position among all of the councils on the island in having a shared border and special concerns. We want to have a meeting with the incoming Taoiseach as soon as possible to put our specific economic and social perspectives to him. I refer to a point made by Senator Paul Coghlan. On the negotiating position and how there could be a hard border on the island, it will not be just a case of what the British Government wants but what the European Union demands. If the European Union wants to see a hard border, there will be one.