Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests. We have a big bank holiday weekend coming up here which coincides with the rugby match. I hope Scotland will not ruin the bank holiday atmosphere by winning the game.

What is Mr. Robertson's view of the protocol? As he looks from Scotland over to Belfast, does he see the advantages of the protocol as it is currently constructed from a trade point of view of a country that may be in competition with Northern Ireland for trade and investment? Is it his view that Northern Ireland has a considerable advantage over Scotland arising from the protocol as currently constituted?

Mr. Robertson spoke to Deputy Ó Murchú about a timeline of 2023 for a potential referendum on independence. I smiled at his description of the union as a voluntary one. That would be an unusual phrase to us here. That aside, if the referendum goes the way Mr. Robertson wishes, what is his timeline for Scotland's application for accession to the European Union? At what stage would an independent Scotland become a membership candidate for the EU?