Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the question. I can confirm for him that it is my intention to convene an all-island, all-Ireland conversation about this to which businesspeople, members of civic society and political parties will be invited. I will give him and all the other party leaders here and everywhere else the details of that in the next short period. Our intention is to protect this country's vital national interest in these Brexit talks. There is a great deal of confusion and a great deal of uncertainty, not only in Britain but also in Europe. These were raised at the meeting I attended recently in Bratislava.

I have asked all Ministers to engage with their counterparts in Northern Ireland in respect of the forthcoming North-South Ministerial Council. This morning, for instance, the Cabinet noted the 2015 report of InterTradeIreland, which deals with cross-Border activities for research and expansion of opportunity for exports and creation of jobs and so on. The reports for 2016, 2017 and 2018 may be very different. This is a matter of the utmost serious concern for us. That is why long before the vote in Britain, we set up a unit in the Department of the Taoiseach which has now evolved into a full-scale Cabinet committee which everybody can and will attend as appropriate.

Of course, we have to respect the votes of the people. I did not like the result overall but I have to accept it is a democratic result from the vote of the electorate of the United Kingdom. I will give the Deputy the details as soon as we have them finalised so that we can have the voice of Northern Ireland business, the Northern Ireland agrisector and the Northern Ireland people in regard to their views as to what they consider the implications for Northern Ireland might be.

For us here, I have made it clear, both to the British Prime Minister when I met her in Downing Street and to the European Council, that Ireland will argue vehemently for the continued recognition of the peace process and the support that has brought but also in respect of the critical juncture this country faces in terms of maintaining our links with the United Kingdom, but speaking as a country that will remain a central part of the European Union.

I fear that this will run for quite some time. It might not be as straightforward or as short-term as many people think. I will advise the Deputy and all others of the details of the national conversation we will have, when I have them finalised in the near future.

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