Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We want to ensure there is no regulatory divergence in Northern Ireland from the rest of Ireland. We would prefer for that to apply to all of Britain in order that we can continue to function on the island of Ireland, consistent with the Good Friday Agreement, ensuring that North-South co-operation can happen. If the rulebook changes between the two jurisdictions, that becomes much more difficult and more complicated, and we need assurances about that issue before the task force can give a signal that we can move on to phase 2 issues.

See this speech in context