Dr. Anthony Soares:

I will deal with the questions around the impact of the protocol and the second question on information sharing and gathering. The Centre for Cross Border Studies's third quarterly survey on conditions for North-South and east-west co-operation. The first quarterly survey was carried out in March. It focused on civic society organisations and local authorities on the island of Ireland and their views on their ability to co-operate on a North-South and-or east-west basis following the end of the transition period and the beginning of the implementation of the protocol on Ireland-Northern Ireland.

In the context of co-operation, what comes up time and again is the fact that it is about the political conditions. This brings me to a very important point. Article 11 of the protocol refers to maintaining the necessary conditions but that does not necessarily imply an understanding of what we see has been the conditions necessary for co-operation. For us, these include the political conditions, the social conditions - that is, communities themselves and their support for North-South and-or east-west co-operation - and the material conditions, namely, the access that we have to goods and to people in order to undertake that co-operation, and the regulatory context which provide the framework. The feedback we received from the quarterly survey is that people are concerned about the deteriorating political conditions for co-operation.

On information gathering and sharing, our group is really important in terms of the conversations we are able to have as organisations that are involved in co-operation on a North-South and-or east-west basis. We are constantly exchanging information, raising issues, trying to find solutions and that is what forms our engagement with decision makers, including the joint committee, the Commission, the UK Government's Cabinet Office, etc. That is really important to us.

The Senator asked about feedback from organisations in Northern Ireland. The Centre for Cross Border Studies is based in the great city of Armagh. We are a Northern Ireland organisation, although, obviously, we work on an all-island basis. We have received a lot of feedback on the impact of the protocol on flows of trade. In the context of co-operation, however, it is about the sense organisations have regarding the kind of support they have. Do they feel as if they have the backing of politicians, the political leaders, in one or various jurisdictions in terms of them engaging in that co-operation? I will hand over to Mr. Quinn who has been very sensible and used the technology to raise his hand.

I will go through the questions as logically as possible. I sit on many groups such as this and am invited to speak to secretaries of state and with the Northern Ireland Office, NIO, and with the Department of Foreign Affairs, DFA, and the message is the same every time. Civic society groups are frustrated that we are not part of the conversation. The fact that the protocol has become a political football is very unhelpful. As seen on the news today, unionism has issued its own position on it. While we should not ignore unionist and loyalist concerns around the protocol, it is important that we work together to find a solution. I am interested in hearing, through the North-South youth forum and other such vehicles, what the issues are which affect young people in the south of Ireland. What are the issues affecting businesses across the island of Ireland? What is the solution here? How can we in civic society be engaged in the conversation to bring solutions?

In terms of risks, we saw violence on the streets in April of this year. Seeing more of that is a fear of many here. There is a real need to create safe spaces for people and from my perspective, young people, to have a conversation around the difficult issues. We should not ignore the issues relating to identity and the constitutional question of a potential border poll. We need to have those conversations, otherwise the risk of discontent and disconnection will continue to simmer.

In terms of engagement, I think my colleagues would agree this has not really changed since the protocol. I am proud to be part of a very strong and vibrant voluntary sector which works both locally and on a North-South and east-west basis. That will still be there but there is much work to be done to promote understanding and education on what the protocol is. My opinion, and this is not the opinion of the youth forum, is that we need to educate young people and people in general about the need for some kind of mechanism. I do not know that everyone understands that with Brexit, there has to be some sort of protocol or agreement. When I talk to people on the ground, and young people in particular, there is a lack of understanding on what is a very complex issue. My call is very clear, and is about creating those safe spaces and investing in things like the all island women's forum and North-South youth forum, pushing towards an all-island civic forum. It is important that members of civic society have a say in how those structures are set up and that they are sustained.