Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Recent references to Gibraltar have shown that Ireland is not the only country that is lobbying on the various issues at bilateral meetings. Our perspective from the outset of this process has been that the programme of top-level bilateral meetings does not seem to have been near what we would have expected. We felt that a tour like the tour of capitals that takes place before a country takes on the Presidency of the EU should have taken place to enable the Taoiseach to meet Prime Ministers across Europe in advance of the Brexit situation. That has not happened. I do not have the exact figure, but my understanding is that half of member states have yet to be visited to the requisite standard. This is unquestionably the most important issue in a generation. The trips that are made by various Ministers of State do not tend to get noticed above the radar to the same extent as the visit of a Prime Minister.

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