Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With respect, it is a little naive to start asking for detail as to how border controls will work before we even have a formal political negotiation between Britain and the European Union under way. Our job is to ensure that there will not be a need for border controls. The political engagement is intensive at senior civil servant level and also at a leadership level within Government Ministries - both here, in Northern Ireland and in London, and that will continue.

In terms of tangible actions that have been taken, in the agrifood sector we have introduced a new low-cost agrifood fund for food companies and farmers that need to finance business growth and need low-cost finance to do that to help deal with the competitiveness challenge that clearly exists since the changes in value in sterling. We are taking practical measures on the ground to help businesses and individuals, through the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and setting up a focus group within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on Brexit.

It made recommendations to the Department of Finance for the recent budget. Subsequently, a series of practical measures were put in place to try to insulate Ireland from the potential fallout from Brexit. We anticipate formal political negotiations beginning towards the end of March.

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