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

I do not disagree with anything the Deputy has just said. There needs to be urgency. The two Governments need to work together. Significant issues linked to Brexit are being discussed by the two Governments, which involves Northern Ireland, Border issues and east-west relationships. The focus in London has been on the build-up to the June summit relating to Brexit. Anybody who watches British politics as I do will see the focus on trying to manage the political debates around Brexit in recent weeks. While that has been going on, I reassure the Deputy and the House that I have been speaking directly to Karen Bradley. We have a good working relationship. I hope we will meet again early next week. We have been speaking to political parties in the North and I understand that parties have been speaking to one another. I assure the Deputy that there is no sense of complacency here. The status quo or political stagnation in Northern Ireland is dangerous.

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