Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy makes the point that I share, which is that everybody must work together here. If I proceed to set up a forum that has no participation from other parties, it will become divisive, which is not in the interest of the island of Ireland and its people, North and South. The Deputy's proposition might be slightly different from mine but there is a welcome opportunity for people from all over the island of Ireland to give their views together on how they see the impact of Brexit and the consequences for them, businesses and people, etc. I will not give a date for a forum that will not have buy-in from the political parties. This idea has merit, as I stated to the Deputy, and I noted the national conversation regarding preparation for the budget for next year and this year was very well worthwhile. People who might not normally be associated with political bodies have had the opportunity to say, as citizens, how it might impact on them and their business.

Yesterday, we agreed a ten-point programme and we will follow that through diligently and rigorously, with every Minister and cross-Border bodies. We must work with Europe to ensure that major infrastructure projects that are to be implemented will not be stranded because of a lack of funding. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is already very much aware of this. We do not want a halt being called to very necessary infrastructure because of either confusion or an inability to work together, which is the central point of the Deputy's comments. I would like to think we can process the bigger and smaller infrastructure pieces, including, as the Deputy has said, the €3 billion on the table between here and 2020 for the peace process, INTERREG and so on. It was negotiated during our own term as holder of the Presidency back at the start of 2013.

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