Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a decision that has been made by the British people and a decision that we respect. That said, the Government would prefer if the UK remained within the European Union and that it would remain in the Single Market and the customs union. Following on our meeting earlier in this Chamber it is clear that the most positive outcome would be for Northern Ireland and the UK to have the closest possible relationship to their current relationship, which would include the UK remaining within the customs union and Single Market. We cannot make that decision for the UK. It is a decision it will have to take itself. However, the UK has again stated that it is committed to maintaining the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process. In terms of imaginative solutions, at this moment in time this seems like the most practical solution to make sure that we maintain the peace that, as stated this morning by Mr. Verhofstadt, is so fragile.

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