Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I live five or six miles from the Border. I am very conscious of the issues Brexit will have on the Border area. There is no doubt that issues will arise. There are threats but also opportunities, which is something somebody said to me. On Monday, I spoke to a man who lives very close to the Border. He said we cannot be all negative about this because opportunities will arise as a result of this as well. I am very conscious, as is the Government, of the potential consequences of Brexit in the Border areas. We have emphasised this in our engagement with EU and UK counterparts. That message is well understood. For example, Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator on Brexit, has indicated that border issues - meaning matters that affect our Border with Northern Ireland and Spain's border with Gibraltar - are one of just four key issues to be addressed in the Brexit negotiation. This is an issue that will certainly be addressed in the negotiations. Before the elections in Northern Ireland I spoke to my counterparts, the Ministers, Chris Hazzard and Paul Givan, about issues in my Department regarding Waterways Ireland.

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