Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As we celebrate Europe Day and given that this year is the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, I wish to begin by setting this issue in its wider context. Brexit, the decision of the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union - or call it what one will - came about as a result of the UK referendum on 24 June last year, which was a bleak day for the European Union. Not only was the result of the referendum a negative development in its own right but there was a legitimate fear that it might act as a catalyst for further populist movements and anti-EU sentiment across the Union. However, it would be fair to say that the reverse has been true in many ways.

From the outset, the remaining EU 27 member states have worked together, not only to ensure a unified position on Brexit but also to reaffirm our collective commitment to the EU project as a whole. In Ireland, support for the European Union has remained high. As the citizens of the wider European Union have gained a greater understanding of the implications of Brexit, they have recognised more clearly that EU membership is something to be valued and protected. The significant increase in the number of applications from Britain and Northern Ireland for Irish passports is one clear example of this. That surge has illustrated that EU citizenship matters, not least to those who are at risk of losing it. Recent elections in fellow EU member states have also delivered results that represent a strong signal of confidence in the value of EU membership.

Irrespective of the unprecedented challenges that Brexit poses to this country in particular, support for our membership of the European Union remains exceptionally high, which was demonstrated once again in yesterday's opinion poll by European Movement Ireland which shows that 88% of those polled agreed that Ireland should remain firmly a part of the European Union. That is why the Taoiseach and the Government has situated Ireland's response to Brexit firmly within the context of our continued and unwavering support for membership of the European Union. For my part, the extensive engagement that I have undertaken with my EU counterparts over the past ten months has not only served to reinforce my firm belief that Ireland should remain at the heart of Europe, but has also been an inspiring reminder of what this really means in practice - the willingness of our EU partners to listen to Ireland's unique concerns and to reflect them in the Union's ongoing negotiating position, a willingness to reach out, not only to the Government but also to citizens and stakeholders in Ireland, to ensure that their views are heard, as instanced by Mr. Michel Barnier's visit to Ireland later this week. It is also an opportunity to build alliances with our partners with regard to Brexit and also in the context of the future of the European Union.

This programme of engagement with our EU partners has also been extremely important in informing the Government's thinking, which has been set out in the comprehensive document on the Article 50 negotiations. This document not only sets out the Government's position and policies, but demonstrates how these will be brought to bear in Ireland's approach to the overall Article 50 process at EU level. The comprehensive document also has regard for the extensive consultation that the Government has undertaken and, indeed, will continue to undertake, with domestic stakeholders, including through the all-island civic dialogue and through our own internal Government analysis and co-ordination that involves the Departments and our agencies. As we stand at the beginning of what will be a very difficult and complex process, I am more confident than ever before that it is firmly the view that Ireland needs to be ready and it is in our interests to approach these negotiations from a position of strength within the European Union family.

The key objective of my engagement with my EU counterparts, of which there have been over 80 to date, has been to underline the importance of protecting peace on our island. This is one of the Government's four headline priorities and it reflects our role and responsibility as co-guarantor of the peace process founded on the Good Friday Agreement. The comprehensive document sets out in detail the unique challenges and issues that Brexit will pose for us on the island of Ireland. In engagement with our EU partners, I stressed our determination to defend the Good Friday Agreement, both in letter and in spirit, and set out the implications of this for the forthcoming negotiations with the European Union. I have explained the unique political and constitutional context and the social, historical and political realities that underpin the imperative of avoiding a hard Border on the island of Ireland, as well as our objective of maintaining the common travel area.

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