Dr. Katy Hayward:

To follow on from that point, it is important that devolution is up and running again as soon as possible. It is worth pointing out that at this critically important time in the UK and Ireland citizens in Northern Ireland are not represented by MLAs and the devolved assembly. There is no Executive speaking on their behalf at the joint ministerial committees or the UK Government. Only ten DUP MPs sit in Westminster. This is a fundamental and deeply concerning lack of representation for people in Northern Ireland.

On whether other parties in Northern Ireland would go into a sort of working opposition, that is unlikely to happen. The need to build consensus and a shared position in regard to Brexit would possibly override many of the differences in that regard. It is worth reiterating the point that we need devolution to be up and running in order for the North-South Ministerial Council to function as it should. The British-Irish Council is similar.

We have not seen concrete evidence of opportunities arising from Brexit. In terms of preparation for Brexit and the effect it is already having in Northern Ireland and the Border counties, it is only negative so far, not just in terms of anticipating economic differences and barriers but also in political and symbolic terms. There are very real anxieties, some of which might be exaggerated, such as passport controls and the like. I would be worried that the negative effects of Brexit are already quite apparent, particularly in the Border region and the risk of back-to-back development returning again.

In terms of preparation in the southern Border counties, one would be cautious and move away from the UK and, as a result, away from the North towards Dublin and the rest of the UK. In the North, the advice about preparing would be about looking further afield beyond the EU. This has its most profound effect along the Border. There is a certain irony here. This is a critical juncture, not just in terms of the Brexit negotiations and all of the focus on the Border at that level in Brussels but also because every day it is having a negative effect within Northern Ireland and the Border region, which has implications for the island of Ireland more generally.