Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With reference to Brexit, work permits, mutual recognition etc., a template for an agreement is being discussed between the European Union and the UK and in that context, Ireland will be in a unique position. As we will still be members of the common travel area with the UK, our citizens will have access to the UK labour market and, equally, the UK labour market will have access to Irish citizens in the Republic. Irish citizens will have access to the European Union labour market and the European Union will have access to the Republic of Ireland labour market. In all of that, the country most likely to be affected in terms of a draw of labour is the Republic of Ireland in the sense that if there was very strong growth in the UK, many Irish people potentially could move to the UK because European labour would no longer have access to the UK whereas the Republic of Ireland would within the common travel area. The opposite is the case also because if the European Union weakens and the Republic of Ireland has a strong economy, there could be a movement of people either from the UK or Europe or both because we will be in the unique position of having access to both labour markets. With that in mind, has the issue of the continued convergence of mutual recognition between the UK and Ireland post Brexit, regardless of whether there is a soft, medium or hard Brexit, been examined? It would be important that in terms of apprenticeships and courses of all forms, there would be continual mutual recognition with the UK. That would have profound implications in the context of Northern Ireland and the Border counties.

Has anyone looked at that? I acknowledge the difficulty of looking into something opaque but by the time it becomes crystal clear, it could be too late for us if we do not have the detail and certainty around mutual recognition. I say that because the EU will negotiate with the UK but that could be on the larger issues. Mutual recognition between Ireland and the UK is an issue of significance, in particular if we are developing apprenticeship courses outside the traditional ones that have been recognised.