Dr. Peter Bossman:

Many European countries would be envious of Ireland. I heard today that 92% of Irish people support the European Union. I do not believe such a result would be achieved in any other part of Europe and it shows that Ireland is very much involved in the European story.

Deputy Durkan said something very important. He said that if Britain is seen to have won, it will be the beginning of the end of the European dream. I believe that is very true. What if Britain decides that there is not going to be any border? What then? What if Poland decides that there will be no border? It is very important that we support the Irish Government and our negotiator, Mr. Barnier, to ensure that we get an agreement that emphasises the uniqueness of the European story. It is also very important that we realise that the problem, unfortunately, lies not with the European Union but with the Government of Mrs. Teresa May. Every time she takes one step forward she has to go two steps backwards. Every time she has made a concession or a compromise she goes home and the hard Brexiteers and the newspapers attack her. She then changes her mind and alters her position. Unfortunately, I believe this will go on into next year, until Britain finally leaves the European Union. I believe we will not get a good agreement. We will get an agreement of sorts, but it will not be the best agreement possible.

I actually live on two borders; I represent Slovenia, and I live five minutes from the Croatian border and 20 minutes from the Italian border. I know what it means to live on a border. Countries are so intertwined. People go to work on one side or another. I know farmers who farm on the Croatian side and sleep on the Slovenian side. I know Italians who work in Slovenia during the day and go back to Italy during the night. It is very important that the Border remains open and that lives are not affected by a closed border.

I once had a very interesting experience. I am a doctor by profession and during my studies, some 20 years ago, I spent a month in Belfast. At that time there were still problems there and when I said I wanted to go to Belfast I was told I was crazy and asked why I wanted to go there for my exchange programme. I saw the divisions then. I believe the Good Friday Agreement would be endangered if a hard border came into effect. We must fight against that. We cannot allow the paramilitary groups to tell us that the peace process did not work and for their activities to start up again.

When we come to the regions, under the leadership of Mr. Lambertz, we will continue to point out all the negative effects of Brexit to the local and regional authorities because they are the bodies that will suffer the most from this, from a human point of view and an economic point of view. We in the European Committee of the Regions will do everything in our power to make that point clear and to advocate for a fair deal for Ireland and the European Union.