Mr. John Finucane:

I appreciate that. I agree it is all slightly speculative but there have not been any words from the British Government or any of its representatives to indicate they are pulling back. The secrecy with which they went about their consultation, for want of a better word, is a problem that has been identified by all parties and by the Irish Government. We are now very much in a period where we need to focus on what can be done rather than just criticising.

I have a couple of questions for Ms Boyd. I appreciate that time is limited. I again thank her for the work on this area. It is perhaps not getting the recognition and attention it deserves. We are living in a time when we are fighting to get attention on many different issues, but this is something that requires the attention of this committee and parties in general. Ms Boyd spoke about the current legislation going through Britain, namely, the Nationality and Borders Bill, and how the introduction of electronic travel authorisations, ETAs, raises the threat and likelihood of a hard border on the island for a significant section of our population. I find it quite technical as I am not an immigration expert by any means. I thank the CAJ and the North West Migrants Forum for the work they have done, and will continue to do, on this. Will Ms Boyd expand on who exactly will be caught by this legislation? What are the practical implications for those people and for society in the context of tourism, business and the right to family and private life?