Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Minister was going to get to the point regarding the question I asked, namely, will this have an impact on the outworking of the memorandum of understanding between ourselves and Britain? I am sure that were I a negotiator on the British side, I would be seeking to ascertain what will happen here after 2020 and how this might have an impact on the cost and financial arrangements in connection with that memorandum of understanding. A huge programme of work is envisaged with regard to turbines and pylons all over the place, which is causing a great deal of public disquiet. Yet, the principles underlying this appear to be that post 2020, the negotiations will be different following this announcement from the European Union. What impact does the Minister believe it will have on the aforementioned negotiations and on the potential benefits to be gained by both Ireland and Britain? Have those potential benefits been changed following the European Union announcement?

See this speech in context