Mr. Eoin O'Neill:

I wish to pick up on Deputy O'Brien's point about trade. Do we hammer home the view that it is an equal partnership effectively, whether we are first and they are fifth or whichever way we want it to pan it out? The sums stack up. We feed the UK. This country feeds large portions of the UK. There is not a sandwich made in the UK in which the raw ingredients do not come from this country. That is the reality. The majority of meat on Tesco shelves comes from this country. That is grade 1 meat. It is high-end, high-quality, stamped and certified. It has all of those positives about it.

Not only do we remind them that the supply chain is built from here, but it is a quality supply chain, one that has stood the test of time and one which we can stand over with pride. We are Irish people who operate in the UK market and talk to UK audiences. As Irish people, we are very proud to stand over that and we constantly remind them of that. We constantly remind them that in any future arrangements they may have, that degree of quality may not be present in their supply chain. In that context we think it is very important to fly that flag.

We have also been responsible for bringing UK businesses to Ireland and talking to them about the opportunity of us being English-speaking with similar legal structures, and no taxation barriers to import and export. Last year I was involved in meeting a trade mission from the Northern Powerhouse which came to Dublin. It involved small businesses looking for an opportunity to trade into Dublin. It gave us the opportunity to showcase Ireland as well; so it is a two-way partnership approach.

It is very important for us to consistently remind people in the UK about this country, that ar scath a chéile a mhairimid. We have worked in each other's shadow for many years, particularly in the supply of goods. We have been a hugely integral part of the supply chain and one which we can stand over with pride.