Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It has long been the case that as part of the common travel area arrangements, Ireland and the United Kingdom co-operate very closely on jointly securing the external border of the common travel area. We will continue to co-operate and strengthen that co-operation in the future. The common travel area has been in existence since Irish Independence. It allows freedom of travel between the two jurisdictions. It is a unique arrangement. It is extremely important that we get that across to other member states because Ireland remains an extremely committed member of the European Union. I met with Mr. Barnier to discuss that and to go into the detail of how it operates. We have a huge amount of co-operation and we do not see that changing.

I welcome the publication of the British White Paper, which provides further details on the issues addressed by the Prime Minister in May. The Deputy raises a particular point about that speech. I would say that the analysis of the issues raised and the assessment of their potential implications for Ireland is continuing. I believe the specific section on Ireland-UK relations reflects the strong ties between our two countries; it is specifically noted.

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