Ms Maeve-Anne Kenny:

I thank the Chair. I think the Minister may have mentioned last week when she appeared before the committee that Ireland and Denmark are the only two member states which are not automatically bound by the pact. Denmark's position is different to that of Ireland. It cannot opt in to the asylum measures of the pact; it does not have an option to do so. That was part of its negotiated deal when the Lisbon treaty came into effect. Ireland on the other hand does have an option to opt in to the asylum related measures, but not the Schengen ones. Denmark is obviously a Schengen member state as well so it will apply the border measures of this pact.