Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Kiely and Mr. Klom and the members of the diplomatic corps and their staff, specifically the ambassador of Georgia. While the White Paper is welcome, the outcome of the negotiations on Brexit will affect the outcome of the White Paper because much of the latter will depend on what happens on Brexit. The negotiations have started well, however.

A delegation from the joint committee met the chief negotiator for the European Union in Malta. We also met the chairperson of the European Parliament committee dealing with Brexit. We received a very good response and I noted the great awareness of Ireland's unique position. If our position is not taken into account, a deal will not be possible because we must secure an agreement that protects Irish citizens and trade.

I note the statement by the Chancellor of Exchequer that British people did not vote to reduce their income or standard of living but for another reason which will become clearer as the process develops. We should now allow the negotiators to negotiate and the new Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, who has specific responsibility for Brexit, to get on with his job. I welcome the clarity provided by this new role for the Minister as it will enable him to co-ordinate Ireland's response to Brexit with the new Taoiseach.

I heard a Tory member of parliament, Mr. John Redwood, interviewed by Seán O'Rourke on Monday. I was with John Redwood when we negotiated the Single European Act and he was an enthusiastic player at that point who engaged diligently in negotiations to ensure the UK secured the best possible deal in the Act. He achieved that objective and Ireland co-operated fully in that regard.

The departure of the UK will be a major blow to the European Union, regardless of what outcome is achieved. I would prefer if Britain remained inside the EU because the UK and Ireland have been very good partners and have worked together closely in the EU. While we joined the European Union together, we will not leave together. It is fascinating to hear different points of view expressed on the EU. When British people realise what benefits they secured in the European Union since the 1970s, they will realise there is no benefit in disengaging from Europe. High food and building standards, which are highly relevant today, are the result of membership of the European Union. These standards were negotiated over a period and we embraced them. Sometimes the European Union is blamed for excessive enforcement of regulations when it is Departments that are overactive in this regard. As the Chairman will acknowledge, the regulations applied in agriculture and business are unreal. These standards may be in excellent but I noted on a visit to Brussels at the weekend that the standards we must enforce here are not enforced there. A disabled person, for example, would have great difficulty getting to a disabled toilet in Brussels. Anyone building here must provide disabled toilets at significant cost, as they should. It is interesting to note how forceful and diligent various Departments have been in transposing into Irish law, without major amendment, European Union regulations. That said, we want to remain a member of the EU.

If and when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, other countries, including Montenegro and Georgia, will enthusiastically apply for membership of the European Union. As a country that supported Croatia, Estonia, Romania and other countries when they applied to join the EU, we will enthusiastically support and encourage other countries to join the EU. We will co-operate in every way possible. The next few years will be fascinating.

I am grateful that the European Commission has a presence in Dublin, although I would prefer if it were closer to Leinster House. The witnesses could not do anything about that decision, however. Perhaps it will return to a location more convenient to Leinster House in the not too distance future. The European Commission office on Molesworth Street was a tremendous asset for Members of the Oireachtas to enable us to work with representatives of the Commission and Departments.