Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I could not agree more. I assure the Deputy that that is the Government's perspective and that is exactly what we are working towards. When I meet the UK Secretary of State for Health, the Northern Ireland health Minister or the European Commission, this is what we are discussing. Like all Government Ministers, I am making people throughout the European Union aware of the importance of getting this right and the importance of making sure that Brexit does not result in a return to a hard Border and does not result in damaging or undermining the common travel area, which is so important to our people. It is important to nurses travelling either side of the Border, to emergency vehicles as the Deputy said, to the very sick children in this country who have operations carried out in London and to the very sick children in Northern Ireland who come down to Crumlin to have their cardiac operations. This is an issue that we have made sure Europe and the European Commission are very clear on. I believe that clarity is reflected in the negotiating stance taken by the European Commission. I can assure the Deputy that my Department and the whole of Government will be making sure that these issues are adequately addressed in the Brexit discussions to take place.

See this speech in context