Mr. Eoin O'Neill:

We will share this between us as there was quite a lot in the two contributions. I will start by addressing Deputy O'Brien's questions. With respect to where we are with the negotiations, he is correct in saying Articles 49 and 50 in the agreement underpin the understanding and it is our understanding too. For North-South and east-west, there it is an equal understanding. It is not sovereign-dependent but it goes to Europe and the UK. It is absolutely our understanding as well. It is an agreement and not a treaty. It is a phase and not the end. In the context of the negotiations, we have come through a gate but it is not a binding gate in many respects. It is a key element of what we are about.

We go to the UK quite a lot and I too have been in those hallowed halls. I have met some of those people and some very senior UK politicians. We have spent time with Philip Hammond, David Davis, Boris Johnson and others. We heard them articulate the need, for example, for a long-standing relationship between the UK and EU going forward. We have equally witnessed the demand for a global Britain agenda and where that would take the UK's market. We point out in our document that 88% of where the UK would like to trade is covered under current or future EU treaties. In that context, we would contend strongly, particularly when we speak in the UK, that the best is in what they have already and the treaty arrangements already in place. Why would they compromise those in the effort to seek the additional 12%? We articulate that view very strongly.

Whereas there is a continued focus on global Britain in the public media and articulations coming from elements within the UK Government, it will be increasingly difficult to arrive at a treaty-based decision on the future of the strategy. That is our single biggest concern. The House of Lords committee was here on Tuesday and they attended the House as well. I made a presentation to them and articulated our view that there is no future for a global Britain approach against the backdrop of negotiations. One cannot be any clearer than that in what we seek. We are very strong in that regard.

The engagement into Europe and the relaxation of state aid rules flows to Deputy O'Sullivan's question about the relationship with Europe. The absolute strength of the relationship between Ireland and the European Union has been very obvious to us as an organisation, and in particular the support given by the EU to Ireland around the critical matter of protecting the Good Friday Agreement. We are all of a generation where we remember the bad times and we are not going back there, so we must protect that. The support achieved by Ireland right across Europe for that is critical. That is not to say the sentiment towards the UK's departure from Europe has not left a scar across Europe. Many European countries are very upset about it and they are determined that on exit, a hard bargain is driven for Europe and its protection. It is important not to confuse the two. Ireland needed to ensure the protection of the Border was critical to phase one. In the next stage of the negotiation process, the protection of our trading links with the UK will become increasingly important. As the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade articulated at Chatham House last night, there is a need for Ireland to be the UK's best friend in many respects in the negotiations. That will underpin and protect the trading relationship.