Mr. Niall Cody:

As I stated in my opening statement and earlier, in the event of a breakdown of the withdrawal agreement, the Government will engage in intensive consultation with the Commission and we will support that with the provision of the analysis we can do. That is what we will do in such a process. We must consider the practicalities. It is why there was an all-island approach to SPS, as I mentioned earlier, and I referred to the foot and mouth outbreak. Ireland was seen on an all-island basis in that case to prevent the contamination of the national herd. These matters must be teased out. It is not in anybody's interest on this island that there would be a threat to the health of the national herd in any livestock or bloodstock. The energies of the task force, the Government and the EU have been in agreeing the withdrawal agreement. That took two years. That process is not finished and if there is to be something else, that process has not started. When it starts we will support and provide the technical expertise that we have to the lead Brexit negotiation team in Ireland. That is all I can say at this stage. It would not help in any way for me to speculate on the Commission's approach.