Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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On the first one, the answer is "Yes", but I am conscious that it is a battle because I do not have a veto. My view is that the Commission should not facilitate Norway at this time. I will be pushing that position but I will be doing so in a way that it is effectively saying to Norway that we cannot have business as usual and we cannot continue in this environment where we just nod along and hope for a different outcome. My approach here is to challenge the consensus at every possible opportunity.

In relation to trade, I think I answered this in a roundabout way in response to one of the previous questioners. Since it is outside my competency, it would have to be a whole-of-government approach. I am prepared to engage, and am engaging, with other Government colleagues to see how best we might address this issue. I will have to get their assessment in terms of the knock-on implications for other aspects of trade, both between Ireland and third countries and at EU level. As far as I am concerned, we now have to go back and look at everything in terms of our relationship with Norway, recognising that negotiations with third countries are not a competency of individual Ministers but are done through the European Union.