Mr. Máirtín Ó Muilleoir:

To come to that first, the most positive thing I did this year was to visit Rathlin Island. I was amazed by its beauty. I passed Senator Black's old homestead where she does some of her great work. She is a great believer in rising above some of the problems that beset us, trying to find a way through them and identifying solutions. There are difficulties for us in identifying the solutions to a proposed Brexit because the British have not said what it means. In fact, they have very clearly disagreed. David Davis has pointed to a hard Brexit while Theresa May has said that will not be the case. Boris Johnson says negotiations will start early in the new year while Theresa May says it is not possible to say that. Liam Fox says that British businessmen are fat and lazy. The confusion among the British is very difficult. While they get themselves organised, we need to draw some little lines in the sand. One issue is that we need to remain, so what could that mean? Is it possible? I think Europe is sympathetic. If we call it a special case, how can we remain and what would that mean? Under that, we then work out the special dispensations we need on all the different aspects of work, in particular to ensure that the funding continues. This requires a civic society response and a political response. It requires a business response. CBI and IBEC have been some of the firmest in saying that we are entering an economic cul-de-sac. I would like to see a thousand flowers bloom in this case, which is to say I would like a thousand voices to be raised, starting in the Oireachtas.

An issue in respect of which Senator Black has been supportive is that of ethnic minorities. I do not go to church very often, but on Sunday I went to the Roma church in Dr. McDonnell's constituency in south Belfast. There were 350 Roma present. The Roma have made great lives for themselves here and refer to the great progress they have made in this country compared to the way they were treated in Romania. Their children are now in school here, but they are fearful that they will be put out. When I met David Davis, I asked him to give me a guarantee that every European Union citizen who is here would be allowed to say and he said they could not do it. As such, one can understand the fear among communities. That is one example of a particularly vulnerable community. One can understand the fear among ethnic minorities, which is even before one talks about the researchers in universities and so on. These are people who have made a great contribution to Belfast. I refer to Lithuanians, Poles and so on. Where do they stand? The voices that are raised need a forum. Sometimes, people think a forum is for republicans and nationalists to come to talk at, but I would like the ethnic minorities to come and make their points. I would like those members of the unionist community who have now applied for Irish passports to come and say why they believe their future lies with Europe. I have signed a large number of their applications as, I am sure, have many of my colleagues. I would like the entrepreneurs and those who live along the Border to come. Let the politicians be last in the queue at the forum but let us have one where people can voice their fears and opinions and try to agree the best way forward for all of our people. By the way, I congratulate Senator Black on her election.

I was asked if we are the meat in the sandwich. Sometimes, I think that is the case. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, and I were mandated by the North-South Ministerial Council to write to EU Commissioner Creu to say that we needed her to guarantee the funding or to tell us where we stand. The Commissioner said that it would not be possible to tell until the negotiations started. I understand entirely. They are waiting for the London Government to say what it wants to do. As such, we are the meat in the sandwich between these two great forces that are meeting and preparing for negotiations. It is very important that our voice is raised in Europe and that we say that it is not good enough and a betrayal of the peace process to allow us to be no more than the meat in the sandwich. The people of this island who voted for and built the peace deserve a great deal more than to be cast aside and forced out of Europe as part of this proposed catastrophe of Brexit.

We have a great deal to do in terms of Mr. Francie Molloy's point. No one should raise his or her voice louder than farmers and the agricultural and rural community. They know how vital Europe has been to their livelihoods as well as to reconciliation and peace in the rural areas which suffered so much during the 30 years of turmoil and warfare.

Therefore everyone's voice should be raised. This will not be finished tomorrow or next week. It was suggested that it could take two or three years, and I have heard six years mentioned. In my view it will be a determined, concerted battle to remain. We have started to rally our forces and arguments to remain, but it will continue in the years ahead.