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

It seems that the period ahead in seeking to reach an agreement will be extremely challenging. Trying to reach agreement on any expenditure cuts is incredibly difficult. We know all about that in this country given the crisis we have come through in the past ten years and the fiscal consolidation that was necessary. How great a challenge will it be for the European Union to agree a new MFF, a new annual budget, in a post-Brexit environment where we are facing the type of shortfall in the budget that the Commissioner has spoken about, whether it be €12 billion or more than that, and the challenges that poses by way of member states paying more money in, and cuts to expenditure programmes like CAP which Senator Conway-Walsh spoke about? How difficult and how challenging will that be over the period ahead to reach agreement on those very difficult issues?