Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for his detailed presentation. As Senator Richmond said, we received a good briefing from him yesterday at the meeting of committee chairs. I was very glad, on a quick perusal of the draft Bill, that many of the issues that affect constituents of mine, such as those who worked in Britain or came from Britain and who access pensions here, and people crossing the Border to the North or coming South for employment purposes or to access education and health services, will be protected going about their daily business. We welcome that.

The Tánaiste mentioned that there is a willingness at EU level to relax state aid rules and, hopefully, market support measures for the agriculture and agrifood sectors will be activated to help deal with the difficulties facing the beef sector and, if there is severe market disturbance, additional measures will be implemented and activated to help that sector.

Deputy Cullinane referred to the cost but we cannot quantify the cost in any way because I know from my area, and the Border region in general, uncertainty has set in and there has been damage to business and commerce. Some enterprises that were planning to expand put those plans on hold. There is uncertainty and a great hesitancy to invest or expand. Deputy Durkan used the word interdependability. As we all know there is great interdependence in the agrifood sector, construction products and engineering sectors in the economies both North and South. The Brexit referendum result has impacted negatively on all of those sectors so far.

I welcome the members of the Irish Central Border Area Network, ICBAN and the east Border region who have joined us in the Public Gallery. They represent local authority public representatives in the Border region, North and South. They were with us earlier today at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement where they outlined the difficulties that the area faces now and the need for additional investment. They put a good case about the large-scale and widespread co-operation that has existed, particularly since 1998, and we do not want that damaged. We want it to continue. I compliment those at local authority level, supported by their officials, on the good positive work that has been done to support the Good Friday Agreement as well.

I travel around my constituency regularly, into Fermanagh from parts of Cavan and Monaghan, and internally in Cavan and Monaghan.

In the past few weeks in particular, quite a number of British citizens who have been living in our State for quite a long time have become concerned about their pension entitlements and their rights. I am glad that this will be underpinned by legislation and that those people will continue to have their entitlements, which is very important. All of the party spokespersons stated that everybody in the Oireachtas will be very supportive of the legislation. I want to assure the Tánaiste of the committee's co-operation in the context of any legislation with which it will be obliged to deal.

I thank the Tánaiste for his detailed presentation and for his good engagement with all of the members. We will now go into private session.