Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for having to leave to attend another meeting. I am delighted to welcome our guests - the president and his team - from the European Committee of the Regions. Cuirim fáilte ar leith roimh an gComhairleoir Ó Murchú; a very special welcome to Councillor Michael Murphy, who I know has been very active and, as leader of the group, very much to the fore in highlighting the concerns certainly of the southern region but, more generally, of all of Ireland about the ramifications of Brexit. I know he is doing that on his own local council, where he recently put hard questions to our county manager and is meeting our officials to discuss how they are prepared for the impact of Brexit. It is the total imponderable, and no one seems to know what is happening.

I am glad the witnesses will visit the Border regions - and no better man to go with them than Councillor Michael Murphy - to see how fragile the Border is, how minuscule it is in many ways. It is only a line in a field. There might only be a fence in a field between North and South, as other members have said. There will be a challenge to our fragile peace process if there is a hard border. It has been said already that there are paramilitaries on both sides who are literally out of business. They are mad to get more traction and to get back into business, and a hard border in the region would be fraught with the danger of getting back into that. The EU did help in providing the funding and creating the various schemes that were designed to help the peace process, such as INTERREG, with the assistance of the United States and other countries.

It is vital that the witnesses visit those areas to get an understanding of the issue. We have to focus on this because we could just wander off and meander along. We had statements last January when we thought that everything was bulletproof. It is vital that we focus and get certainty because businesses are worried. Monaghan is a very industrious county and much of its workforce comes from across the Border, travelling back and forth.

The same can be said about exports. RTÉ recently did a very good exposé on people who live in the North and work in the South and vice versa. There is no Border for them; they just drive through. It is seamless at the moment. It is very concerning to think that any kind of border might be put in place.

The Irish Road Hauliers Association has been mentioned. Ms Verona Murphy is the president of that group and I know that she is related to Councillor Michael Murphy. She is a very able dealer and has made strong representations about this. It is a huge issue for the road hauliers. We have an excellent road haulage industry here and the Government moved to give it some supports by way of lower taxation and equalisation in recent years. The industry needed it. We are an island country and we have to export everything. If we lose direct access to Europe via the United Kingdom we will be in big trouble. Apart from the money it will cost, it will take too long, be too arduous and people might not have the stomach for it. It is vital to our economy and our produce, as an agricultural exporting country.

I come from County Tipperary, like Councillor Murphy. We have to boast about our Tipperary beef and lamb. The farming industry is massive in Tipperary and the export of raw materials and the finished product is going to be very important. Even the risk that trucks will be pulled in and something found amiss is bad for us. Many road haulage companies are small and cannot afford it. They already have problems with borders, considering the refugee crisis. They will not be able to meet their delivery dates. One's word is one's bond and fulfilling contracts by meeting delivery dates is vital.

We have a new company in Tipperary called Tipperary Whiskey - Councillor Murphy is very close to the family behind it - and we need to export it as well. The adage says that where Tipperary leads Ireland follows. Councillor Murphy is doing an excellent job of being the leader of the group in Tipperary and keeping us informed, but also keeping the cause and the plight of communities and business people in Ireland front and centre.

Brexit will have huge ramifications. Many of us may have been thinking that it will never happen, but it will, and we need to seriously focus on it. I wish the witnesses well for the rest of their fact-finding visit. It is great to see the other regions showing interest in our regional issues. The peace process is the main priority. It is unthinkable that we would slip back into the serious crisis of that period and the loss of life and the losses endured by businesses and communities. We have moved ahead since then and people are benefitting from that peace process and enjoying it. We need steady hands on the tiller on many fronts and we need to be very focused. I welcome the witnesses and thank Councillor Murphy for doing such a sterling job in keeping us informed and keeping the witnesses well abreast of the issues here. I wish him and his colleagues well, including Councillor Hughie McGrath. Go n-éirí an bóthar libh go léir.