Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)
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There may be a lot of questions but there are many of them which it may not be possible to answer. It is a matter for the witnesses to decide whether they can respond. It is an open discussion. I will not inhibit anyone. Before they make their replies, the organisations - IBEC, Congress and the Irish Universities Association - are required to do a lot more lobbying than previously as a result of Brexit, which results in a need for more funding and additional work.

Are the members aware of the need for extra funding to allow the organisations to carry out their work?

Is there is an understanding among colleagues in the other 26 countries that Ireland is in a uniquely difficult position, given that it has had free trade with the UK since 1963, with Lemass and Wilson? Since then, we have had the European Union, the Single European Act and so on, and now all of a sudden there is to be a complete change to that. Most colleagues we meet from the Executive are aware of our situation, but they have difficulties too. The Estonian Prime Minister told me that they do not know what will happen to its 70,000 workers in London; at least we have free access and free movement, the negotiation of which was a great success.

We will continue to build up our relationships with UK industry, employers, employees and the TUC. There will be new arrangements, but we have to be involved because it is our largest customer and our nearest neighbour.

The panel can decide who will respond, and not everything that has been asked needs to be responded to; this is more of a discussion. Some questions might be beyond the capacity of the panel, such as that about open embassies, which is not a foreign affairs responsibility and is outside the European Union. That is neither here nor there. Perhaps each one of the panel could respond in any way that they feel appropriate.