Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I indicated to the Taoiseach previously that there are significant concerns in the Border counties, both North and South, following the British decision to exit the European Union. Fortunately, there was 20 years of good growth in trade and commerce between North and South and South and North. Those businesses in the Border region - I am familiar with those in the two southern Ulster countries of my constituency, Cavan and Monaghan - that are heavily dependent on exporting to Northern Ireland and to the British market have already been hard hit by the weakening of sterling. The Government and the Oireachtas need to focus on the immediate issues hitting business at present and there must be a case for some support for small and medium-sized enterprises that are heavily dependent on exporting to the sterling area.

In this whole discussion, we all are mindful of the difficulties that will arise for exporters to the sterling area. We must also be conscious of the exporters who will send their products through Britain to further destinations. If there are customs and tariffs, products exiting Ireland and transiting through Britain to Asia and elsewhere will meet with additional costs. Even if there are not hard borders, there will be customs and tariff regulations to be met. That all generates additional costs.

As the Taoiseach will be aware, the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body was established in 1990. The Taoiseach was a member early on, as I was. We worked together, both representatives from the Oireachtas and from Westminster, in very difficult political times in the early and mid-1990s. That body now is the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and it has representatives from the Oireachtas, Westminster, the assemblies in Northern Ireland and Wales, the Scottish Parliament and from Jersey and Guernsey. It was established in 1990 as a forum for discussion for Members of Parliament and members of political assemblies to discuss and consult on issues and areas of mutual concern and interest. The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly could be given an additional remit in ensuring that we use the parliamentary processes that are already in place. We are not only talking about North-South. Unfortunately, we are also talking about an east-west dimension as well.

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