Mr. Aidan Gough:

We were invited to host meetings. We did not actually arrange the meetings. Michael Barnier attended an InterTradeIreland meeting with the business community. He listened to the views of cross-Border traders. He heard directly from the horse's mouth about the difficulties they envisage that they would experience in the event of any sort of barrier to trade being erected. There was particular reference to the costs that would be associated with additional form-filling and customs requirements.