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

It is important to note, however, that in 12 months, Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union. We have had many debates in this House about how this Government and country need to approach the Brexit challenges we face. We are taking on those challenges and the British Government is very clear in terms of what the Irish Government is prioritising. Yesterday I confirmed that we need to see significant progress on the Border issue, in particular, by June, which is when European leaders will again review the guidelines on their approach to Brexit. There was some progress this week in Brussels in terms of negotiations on a number of issues relevant to Ireland but we need to see more progress, particularly between now and June. We keep in very close contact with our British counterparts to ensure those issues continue to be prioritised.

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