Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are coming close to the end of our meeting and I have some questions myself, now that all of the committee members have made their contributions. Last week, we met the Northern Ireland Executive committee to discuss the all-island implications of Brexit. Clearly, the protocol was quite topical last week and it still is. I listened to Dr. Ivory's opening statement and his comments to Senator O'Reilly in which he stressed the importance of the protocol and the committee certainly agrees with him on this. I have concerns about the consent mechanism and the vote that is to take place in four years. The Commission initiating Article 16 was hugely damaging. We were barely off the ground and this happened. The political significance on the island is huge and I am not sure the Commission fully grasps how big it is. It has now become a green versus orange issue. It will become an election issue in the North. I do not know whether Dr. Ivory agrees that the business community will have to take a position on it quite early on to stress the importance of the protocol to the all-island economy. Is he concerned from a business perspective about the vote that is to take place in four years and the narrative? Last week, during an engagement with a media outlet from the North, I was asked whether we should renegotiate the protocol. I made the point that the protocol came at the end of four years of negotiations. The conversation on whether we should renegotiate the protocol is really dangerous. I would welcome Dr. Ivory's views on this.

Practically how is the rule of origin impacting on businesses in Ireland? This issue reared its head when the story that Percy Pigs might go up in price hit the headlines. When it becomes a reality for consumers, that is when we begin to take notice a little bit more. From a business perspective, how tricky is the rule of origin issue? Are we close to resolving it?

Dr. Ivory mentioned the increase in the cost of transport. We will have the transport sector before the committee next week, including representatives from the haulage industry and the ports. How big of an impact has the increased cost of transport had on business? I am sure IBEC is still probably assessing this damage given that it is early days.