Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 7, inclusive, together.

On the morning of 24 June, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, telephoned to inform me personally of the result and of his intention to resign. He thanked the Irish Government for its support all through the process. He committed to ensuring that there would be early bilateral engagement at senior official level on key issues then arising. These include Northern Ireland, the Border and the common travel area. I subsequently met Mr. Cameron at last week's European Council. I took the opportunity at the meeting to speak of our long history with the UK and our strong and unique relationship, including the fact we share a number of specific interests and concerns, including Northern Ireland, the common travel area and the interconnectedness of our trade. The wish of the Irish Government is for Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom to remain part of the Single Market in order to avoid any borders between people, goods and services on these islands. In that context, I also passed on the concerns of the Scottish First Minister, whom I had spoken to on the phone and met at the British-Irish Council summit in Glasgow recently. I met the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland at the North-South Ministerial Council yesterday, having spoken to them the week before by telephone. Yesterday we agreed a range of actions to work together to ensure that Northern Ireland's interests are protected and the benefits of North-South co-operation are fully recognised in any new arrangements that emerge in terms of United Kingdom's future relationship with the European Union.

On 24 June, the Government adopted a contingency framework identifying key policy issues to be managed by Departments arising from the referendum vote for the UK to leave the EU. The framework maps out the key issues that will be of most importance to Ireland in the coming weeks and months. This will be a process, as important issues that emerge and recede in the course of negotiations will be reflected upon.

The contingency framework is being co-ordinated by my Department. It is based on preparations over many months, including inputs by Departments to identify the key strategic and sectoral issues arising from the UK's disengagement with the EU. The framework will ensure that the Government and its constituent Departments are able to focus on key policy issues to be addressed in any exit negotiations with a view to minimising potential operational risks likely to arise. Using the contingency framework, Ministers, Departments and agencies will track and adapt the detail of risk management strategies arising in each of the policy and operational areas identified. Substantial work has been undertaken across Government to identify those key strategic, policy and operational risks. This work will be intensified and prioritised across all Departments and agencies. Priority issues identified include UK-EU negotiations, British-Irish relations, Northern Ireland, trade, investment, North-South Border impact, competitiveness and macroeconomic issues, research and innovation funding, and energy. More will be added as the terms and conditions of the new UK-EU relationship evolve.

A number of existing structures will he strengthened as necessary. These include the Cabinet committee on EU affairs, the North-South Ministerial Council, and the British-Irish Council; and at official level, the joint Ireland-UK Secretaries General-permanent secretaries process, the EU senior officials' group, the interdepartmental group on the UK EU referendum, and external stakeholders and interested bodies.

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