Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will wrap up the questions, if that is okay. I will start with the Loughs Agency. The legislation is quite dated. It dates back to 1952. There is underpinning in the Good Friday Agreement. Is the Loughs Agency satisfied that the legislation is robust enough to meet its needs now? It is funded on a 50:50 basis. In the event that there is a hard Brexit and the funding dries up or the balance of funding changes, does the agency have contingency plans in place?

My final question which has been adverted to by some of my colleagues relates to the differing standards that may apply post-Brexit. I have the same question for Mr. Comer and Mr. Kavanagh. What plans have they put in place for market diversification?

In response to Mr. Comer, in particular, I am mindful of the cheese industry in Ireland and of cheddar being a major part of that. It has a tiny market, albeit of 64 million people but that is a tiny market in the global scheme of things. There is no alternative I know of for cheddar, which is a problem. Having been at Bord Bia's Bloom showcase this weekend and having watched some of the artisan cheese producers in this country, they are to be commended. Some of the cheeses on sale there at the weekend and some of the agricultural produce in general was fantastic. Again, however, I worry about diversification.

On the issue of diversification in the horse racing industry, horse racing is huge in Australia, in the Arab states and in the United States. Why are we relying solely on the UK for the export of billions of euro worth of race horses?

The function of this committee is to seek out solutions. In every meeting in which I have been involved, I have heard the problems reiterated over and over again. In every European-based meeting in which I have been involved, I have been reassured, as late as at the COSAC meeting in Malta last week. At the end of his speech, Mr. Barnier singled out Ireland and the problems associated with Ireland and gave reassurances that every step would be taken to maintain the current situation. Professor Hübner, Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Affairs, made exactly the same point at the end of her speech.

We constantly hear in this country that the British are favourable to the Irish situation and the British constantly say that they are favourable. I want to ask the delegates if they are confident that with all of this talk, things will work out on the night? Is there something we are missing out on or are not doing? That applies to all three agencies represented. I have a particular fear for the agriculture industry and, as of today, for the horse racing industry I had not previously considered. I am a city boy, for me milk comes in cartons. At the end of the day, however, when I look at the impact on the witnesses' markets and produce, I am told there is no real alternative market for our beef and that the Chinese market is not really there for it. We seem to have failed to capture the Chinese market for milk in the same way that the Latvians have, for instance. That concerns me. I am interested in the delegates' views.

I will finish with the Loughs Agency. How does the agency see the Good Friday Agreement providing a vehicle through which it might get more leverage to get what it wants out of Brexit negotiations? I thank the delegates.