Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Regarding Brexit, I want to acknowledge the support of the European Commission for the Irish position and the support of the other European institutions. We hope that continues right through to the end but is it the objective of the European Union to ultimately negotiate a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom? We are now moving into a new phase and there is talk of the transition period and so on. Having a free trade agreement will come with certain obligations on the UK but is that the position of the European Union? Is the objective to negotiate a free trade agreement that is tantamount to what we currently have within the Single Market?