Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I can assure the Deputy that issues particular to Ireland are very much in the top tier of negotiations that are now ongoing. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, will meet with Michel Barnier in the coming days. I will be at the European Council later this week and will meet many of my fellow Heads of Government, including Chancellor Merkel and others. I will of course, once again, flag Ireland's particular concerns and attune my European colleagues to our particular interests.

I always think the common travel area is a misnomer. There is much more to it than travel. The terms I prefer to use are "effective common citizenship" or "reciprocity of civic rights", namely, the right of Irish and British citizens to live, work, study, and access welfare, pensions, housing and health care in each other's countries as though they were citizens of both. At our meeting yesterday, Prime Minister May and I reaffirmed our commitment to retaining reciprocity of civic rights. Trade is a European competence, as Deputy Ryan knows. It will not be the case that Ireland can remain a member of the European Union and have a bespoke trade arrangement.

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