Ms Mairead McGuinness:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and all of her colleagues. It is important that I convey those specific issues to my colleagues here in the Commission and I will speak to Maroš Šefovi this afternoon. I am happy to engage again, if that is appropriate.

I want to refer to one of the questions that was raised about the UK's decision not to allow the Commission to continue to have an office in Belfast. Clearly, it would be better if there were an office because if one is physically present one can engage and get a sense of what is happening. We must deal with the reality that the United Kingdom has taken a particular decision and wants to act in a particular way but with that said we must find other ways. So we have our London and Dublin offices. We have a Seanad and a Parliament in Ireland that wants deep engagement and I think that the European Parliament should be part of your thoughts for the future. I say that because, and I was reminded of it recently, John Hume did his best work in the European Parliament. Northern Ireland was his absolute and full focus but he needed the space of the European Union to find a way to talk peace and build peace. The sensitivities around that in the European Parliament run deep. There are many colleagues still in Parliament who remember that time and we should use that to get the European Parliament to be a wider voice, through different structures, in order that people in Northern Ireland have a sense that they will be listened to. We are not interfering. We want to listen and we want to help.

It does none of us good to know the reality that there is now increased tensions. Equally, there is now a political responsibility in Northern Ireland, the UK and the European Union to dampen tensions with practical solutions, which we have offered. If there were fewer headlines and opinion pieces but more dialogue in the room then we would be in a better place. I hope that we can get there and I believe that we will.