Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. Mr. Russell's talk was as good and positive as the one he gave at our recent Brexit conference in Killarney. What he says about the Scottish stance and that Scotland will not be silent is heartening. It is inconceivable that the British Government would countenance proceeding without the agreement of the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. That would mean that the United Kingdom would no longer be united.

Britain will not walk away from a market of 500 million people, no matter what the hard Brexiteers say or wish to do. It will want the benefit of the Single Market and the customs union which it wants to leave, whatever the formula at the end of the day and no matter what it is called. That will be for the wordsmiths. It did a good job, even if there was a bit of fudge in phase one. I hope it will do as good a job in phase two which is going on at the moment. We all know that the British Cabinet and the Conservative Party are divided. As the negotiation proceeds, it has already been somewhat flexible.

They are prepared to pay more money. They want to stay as part of the EU schemes and they know they will have to pay more. Maybe I am only hoping, but I think that in the give and take, this is what they will strive for. Despite all the smog, at the finish they will have to get the detail of the wording legally right. That will ensure that we have the North-South and east-west arrangement as is.

I am keen to hear what Mr. Russell thinks is going on. I know we all have to put on our thinking caps and that we do not know. The UK Government is sending out somewhat different signals. What does Mr. Russell think is really going on in the negotiations that are proceeding in Brussels these days?