Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have always advocated for a growth policy within the European Union, and we have been strong advocates of that within the EPP. There has been some reflection of that - perhaps not enough - and we need to continue to focus on how we grow a competitive EU and how do we avoid a swing to protectionism, which is a risk within the EU and is something we need to protect against strongly. We have to work together for that, because Ireland has a huge interest in open, competitive borders and not in the closed and restricted borders that some would advocate.

I sympathise with the Deputy asking that I say, "Here is the outcome of two years of negotiations between Ireland and the European Union, and here in detail is how it protects Ireland." That is just not possible. We enter into a negotiating process, we have prepared very carefully and positioned ourselves very well, and we have the support of not only Britain in terms of the priorities we have set, especially in respect of Northern Ireland, but also of many colleagues in the EU. We will see in the coming days that that will be a major consideration early on in those negotiations, and we have positioned ourselves to be successful in the outcome. However, I cannot stand up here and name protections one to ten and detail exactly how each of those issues will be dealt with. That is not the nature of this sort of negotiation, and that is why we have had to put in this degree of preparation. We have to prepare for the unexpected as well as the favoured outcomes.

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