Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 14, inclusive, together.

I spoke with Prime Minister May by telephone on the day Article 50 was triggered. I acknowledged the constructive tone of the Article 50 letter and the references to Ireland and Northern Ireland. We discussed the next steps in the Brexit process and agreed to maintain close contact at political and official level. We also discussed the political situation in Northern Ireland.

It has been clear from the start that the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union will have significant economic, political and social implications for Ireland. The Government has been working very hard for more than two years, even before the UK referendum, to engage with all sectors across the island of Ireland, fully analyse our main areas of concern and develop our negotiating priorities. These are to minimise the impact on our trade and the economy; protect the Northern Ireland peace process, including through maintaining an open Border; continue the common travel area with the United Kingdom; and work for a positive future for the European Union.

The Government and UK Government are agreed that a close and friction-free economic and trading relationship between the UK and the EU, including Ireland, is in our best interests. We note that our particular concerns, including in relation to the Good Friday Agreement, were acknowledged by Prime Minister May in her letter. They were also reflected in last week's resolution on Brexit by the European Parliament and they are set out in the draft guidelines circulated by President Tusk, which are to be finalised at a meeting of the 27 member states on 29 April. The consistent, strong acknowledgement of the Irish issues in each of these documents is evidence of the extensive engagement by Ireland with our partners at political, democratic and official level in recent months. As I stated the other day, now that Article 50 has been triggered, we will publish shortly before the European Council meeting on 29 April a consolidated paper providing more detail about our priorities and approach to the negotiations ahead.

A report on the civic dialogue process to date is available on merrionstreet.ie. Further all-island civic dialogue events and consultations will be held, as required, in the coming months.

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