Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It was and remains a good idea. I keep an invitation open to everybody if they want to follow through on this. There is nothing in this other than the capacity for everybody who wants to have a say and who has a point of view or a proposal to be able to state it cogently and clearly. All of the bodies are talking to each other. From assessing all of that, my idea was that it would be worthwhile having an island conversation. One cannot have it if people do not want to buy into it, and that is their right and opportunity. The idea still stands and it is still a good idea.

If the Deputy looks at the cross-Border agencies that deal with investment in infrastructure, one can see that this takes in initiatives such as the Narrow Water Bridge, the A5 and the Ulster Canal. If the money is to be given up front by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform but the Commission decides that, with the UK leaving, INTERREG and the infrastructural funds will no longer continue, we cannot plan in advance. We cannot say that we are going to have project X or Y and expect the taxpayer here to contribute to something that will be backed up by funding-----

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