Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and compliment him on the negotiations over the past couple of weeks. Obviously, the Brexit negotiations are of huge importance in the Border region, particularly for agrifood businesses such as Lakeland Dairies, which has plants on both sides of the frontier. Businesses along the Border are very anxious to ensure that the seamless border that exists at the moment will continue.

Phase 2 of the negotiations will deal primarily with the future trading relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. I very much welcome the news that agreement has been reached on phase 1. What is especially important about that agreement is that there will be no hard border on the island, as the Minister has just outlined. Anything other than that would have had major implications for the thousands of people who cross the Border every day for work, education and leisure. However, concerns still remain because the text published last Friday repeatedly emphasises the fact that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. It is important that the EU's understanding of the guarantee is the same as UK's understanding.

Phase 2, which deals with trade, must now be addressed. It is important that we maintain a close and coherent focus on what we, as a country, want from this process. This phase will be particularly important for the agrifood and tourism sectors in Cavan and Monaghan, as well as for our export industries.

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