Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There has been a lot of progress, particularly at the last Council meeting before Christmas. The negotiations advanced to stage 2, yet reflected the very important position the Irish Government had taken on the Border issue. It was hugely important to the country and our role in trying to promote and support the retention of all of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, within the Single Market and the customs union, but we do not have the final say on these things. They are part of the negotiations which have moved on to the second phase. Clearly, there is a job of work to be done and it is a huge challenge. We have received support from our European colleagues on the important issue of the Border. It also has implications for how the European Union will proceed in respect of the Single Market and the customs union. We have a very important role to play in that regard. The Dáil will continue to advocate for the best possible outcome to the Brexit negotiations for the whole island.

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