Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a question that builds on a point made by Senator Daly. It goes back to Lord Alderdice's previous role in Stormont rather than his current role in Westminster, and concerns the position of the devolved Administrations and the role they are playing in the negotiations within the UK. How does Lord Alderdice feel their voices can be heard best by Westminster and by the UK Government in particular, and are they being heard? I met this week a delegation from the Welsh Assembly and two weeks ago I visited Edinburgh and met a number of MSPs. To be frank, part of the feeling there was party-political as opposed to relating to the devolved Administrations, in that they were to an extent being frozen out. Obviously, the current impasse in Northern Ireland does not help that situation. Going forward, as Senator Daly noted, Ireland will be engaging in serious internal negotiations with the other 26 remaining states at Council of Ministers level and beyond. However, we will also wonder what is the negotiation in the UK. Is it solely a London-led deal and how are they going to incorporate the devolved Administrations in the negotiations and in the Great Repeal Bill, whenever it comes? Moreover, are they going to be able to properly implement whatever deal comes to pass?