Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is not what you are saying there. It struck me as a little odd. The other point about it is the right to participation in public life. That is not just exercising our right to use our franchise to exercise our right to vote. The right to participation in public life also includes the role I and my colleagues play as elected representatives. I would think it has to be taken in its full gamut. On a personal note, the loss of the three representative seats in terms of the North of the island is unfortunate. What is the number in that regard? I looked through all of this earlier. There are 73 representatives from across Britain and the North, and we have 11 here in the Republic. It is increasing by two, but I would imagine that the greater number of people here of all political opinion would say at least those two should have been granted to people North of the Border to allow them continue that participation, that voice and that linkage. I would hold that view very strongly.

It is apparent that there is an across the board acceptance in terms of 29 March. What happens if there is an extension because as we speak there is no provision in terms of a European parliamentary election on 24 May North of the Border? It is not being provided for at all. I wonder about all of that. The allocation of these additional seats is predetermining that this is done and dusted, whatever will happen. It closes down possibilities, in my opinion, and I am very worried about that.

I have a few final points. Mr. Gormally mentioned 300,000 people traversing the Border but among that number, and I have lived in the shadow of the Border all my life, there are tens of thousands who are cross-frontier workers, so described.

I know people where I live who are cross-frontier workers and those who travel from South to North are entitled to free access to medical care in this State, irrespective of their economic circumstances. That is a very precious thing. The National Health Service operates north of the Border; we have no such thing here. It is built into the provisions of the medical card that by the very fact of these people being cross-frontier workers, they are entitled to a full medical card in this State. Tens of thousands of people and their dependants could very well lose that entitlement, which most definitely would be absolutely catastrophic for some. Would any panellist like to reflect a little on the issue of cross-frontier workers? I refer not only to those going from South to North, but also to those who go from North to South, because as Mr. Gormally has suggested, this is a significant part of daily reality for many people. What will their reality look like post Brexit? Would Mr. Gormally like to comment?