Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The witnesses are very welcome. I see they are one of the six implementation bodies under the Good Friday Agreement. I know first-hand the partnership and collaboration. Dr. Kearney rightly referred to the relationships. One can never put a value on these things. Those relationships have built up in the past 30 years and we see it in politics where relationships cross borders, including between Ireland and the UK. Those friendships and relationships endure through difficult times. One can never put a value on the work the witnesses have done in the past 20 years but it is very positive. The possibility of a hard border will make achieving the objectives far more challenging. It could discourage partnerships and joint working and create a barrier for those who wish to collaborate.

The witnesses said they were concerned about any divergence in food safety standards, manufacturing, labelling and packaging standards, and certification in the UK and the EU. Could we bring that out in terms of one product? What issues regarding one product, whether butter or something else, could occur if there was a hard border? Do the witnesses have a product for which they can determine a day-to-day issue that would happen with a hard border?