Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and her team, as well as the people in the Gallery. With regard to the informal meeting in Salzburg, it is disappointing in a sense that there was a certain isolation imposed on British Prime Minister Theresa May. It is important that we keep close contact with the United Kingdom during these negotiations. I accept we are one of the 27 countries but there has been a long relationship with the UK going back to the 1965 Anglo-Irish Free Trade Agreement signed by the then Taoiseach, Mr. Lemass, and the UK Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Wilson. That was eight years before both countries joined the European Economic Community, EEC, in 1973. Our relationship is special and there should be some consideration for a unique economic zone between the United Kingdom and Ireland because of our trading relationship, which is worth €1.1 billion per week, and because we have had this relationship for so long.

The Republic of Ireland comprises only 1% of the total population of the European Union but we are the most affected by the ongoing negotiations and Brexit. I suggest this to the Minister of State, Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and others. It seems from television reports that British Prime Minister May was terribly isolated, which I thought was unfair. It is vital we retain a strong relationship. The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, BIPA, will meet in London in October and we intend meeting the British Prime Minister there. We must relay to Mr. Barnier that we recognise the sensitivities within the British Government now and what will happen in future. There is also the question of modernisation of border controls, which may lend itself to a solution.

This is a difficult time and we are also facing into the European elections of 2019, in which our country will get two additional seats. In effect, none of the additional seats for the European Parliament has been allocated to the western portion of Ireland. It would be a useful conduit for those representing the north west and west if they take into consideration the extra responsibility they will have after Brexit. They will have to represent the interests of the people of Northern Ireland.