Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome both ambassadors and thank them for their presentations. I am very concerned by all the issues raised by my colleague, Senator Richmond, and my comments will follow on from what he said. We have a unique relationship with Britain, which the witnesses acknowledge and which has existed since the foundation of our State. I understand the United Kingdom's Ireland Act 1949 provided that in a unique relationship, we would not be considered a foreign country in Britain. Mr. Matulay seems to indicate that Slovakia will take a very hard stance on the four freedoms. Given that there seems to be agreement between the Irish and British Governments and accepted in the North that we could almost have a bilateral arrangement and that we would seek the blessing of the EU and all of its member states in that regard, does he not see any room for compromise on the four freedoms? I noticed from Prime Minister May's visit to India that the question of visas came up. I think the UK will need a larger workforce and it will have to give something in return for that.

We all will wish to hold Britain in the Single Market if possible. In the context of the Netherlands, its elections next year and the fact that the UK might not have triggered Article 50 by then, I am not too sure of the precise date of the elections, but how will the various parties in the Netherlands react to that? Coming into that mix will be the fact that there will be a Supreme Court decision in Britain, presumably by early next year, and we think at the moment that it is likely it will uphold the High Court decision. How does Mr. Schellekens see that playing into the mix? Because of the Netherlands being, like Ireland, so close to the UK, what opportunities does he see when the UK is gone? What are the main priorities of the Netherlands? Presumably the Netherlands, like Ireland, wants the UK to have access to the Single Market, but achieving that in the negotiations seems to be the difficulty. However, as I think the Netherlands and Ireland have common agendas, I would be very interested in Mr. Schellekens' views and indeed the views of both witnesses as to their vision for a future without Britain in the EU.