Mr. Colin McGrath:

I am not able to access Microsoft Teams on the computer in the Assembly here so I am doing so via my iPad. The Wi-Fi connection in this building is not the best so my apologies if it should break at any point, please let me know and I will repeat anything that needs to be said.

I thank the Chair and the committee for the opportunity to meet today. We are delighted to meet with the committee, albeit virtually, and look forward to engaging on matters of common interest. The UK withdrawal from the EU has brought about significant issues that require us to put our combined energies together to overcome. The Committee for the Executive Office is responsible for the scrutiny of the work of the department and, as the Executive Office leads on Brexit, this issue has occupied a significant amount of our time. The all-encompassing nature of Brexit means it is a concern not just of our committee but of all the statutory committees, to some extent or other. As a committee, we take a strategic overview and have sight of the work of other statutory committees engaged on these issues for their own scrutiny purpose. In addition to periodic briefing from the First Minister and deputy First Minister, we receive monthly updates specifically on Brexit issues from the junior ministers within the department of the Executive Office. We are also in talks with Westminster, Welsh and Scottish legislators on EU matters. We are pleased to engage with the Seanad Special Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union to share our relative perspectives.

We have heard from wide-ranging sectors as to the challenges Brexit has brought, primarily in terms of interruptions to trade and the loss of EU funding. We will also be vigilant, alongside the dedicated mechanism of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, the equality commission and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, that there will be no diminution of equality and human rights standards following Brexit.

It will come as no surprise to the committee that there are differing views on Brexit within our committee but we are united in the conviction that the transition from UK membership of the EU is undertaken as smoothly and with as little disruption as possible, be that on a North-South or an east-west basis. Consequently, the committee remains steadfast in its scrutiny of the department to ensure that everything is done to minimise any adverse impact in our relative jurisdictions.

I look forward to the conversation today and hope the committee finds it useful for report at the end of March. I remind members of our committee that they are here as members of the Committee for the Executive Office as well.

Matters have taken a significant turn from the past weekend. Confusion has reigned as to the purpose of last week's decision and then the counter-decision. This has not helped the smooth transition and the threats hanging over staff undertaking checks at Larne Harbour are sinister and unwarranted. We need cool heads, calming language and fortitude to resolve the presenting issues. It is my hope that this is what all governments on all sides will be doing and we as a committee would be looking for evidence that that is taking place here