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

The Government has acted in a way that has been consistent for months and we do not intend to move away from that position. We regard the responsibility of the Government in the Brexit negotiations as being hugely important in the context of the national interest on the island of Ireland as a whole. That is why we have tried to listen to all views from political parties in government and opposition and from all of the political parties in Northern Ireland on the genuine concerns people have.

It is as a result of this that we have negotiated for some time, through very clear structures and an EU task force led by Michel Barnier, with our counterparts in the UK who are negotiating on behalf of the British Government.

At the start of the week, we had agreement on a text which was subsequently not confirmed. We are now in a position whereby we need to find a way forward. Let me be clear. The core issues on which Ireland got agreement at the start of the week are not changing and, as I said, are in the interests of the island and the relationships on it North and South, east and west and between different communities and political parties. We have maintained and will continue to maintain that position.

The Taoiseach has said that we will of course consider any other proposals which the British Government may offer. Our position on the core meaning of the text on which we had agreement on Monday needs to remain intact. If other proposals need consideration we will give them consideration. The position of the Government on some of the key issues raised again today, including protecting the Good Friday Agreement, recognising and retracting the principle of consent, ensuring that we maintain the integrity of the EU Single Market and maintaining North-South co-operation on an all island economy basis ensures that regardless of how the negotiations go, if and when we move to phase 2 we can reassure people that there will not be a re-emergence of a hard border on the island of Ireland. It will also mean that we will protect citizens' rights in Northern Ireland, the common travel area, which people take for granted in the context of Brexit, and peace funding commitments which have been made.

Many issues are subject to negotiation. We accept the British Government is trying to move this process forward in good faith. We want to work with it rather than against it on that, but Ireland has real concerns which are important to the country and its future, and to the island and in future. We have an obligation to ensure that we act accordingly.

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