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

Conversations on maintaining and protecting the common travel area arrangements are taking place in any case. We have a team of officials specifically working on this with their counterparts in the UK. I suspect I will have to bring recommendations in this area to the Government if new legislation or statutory instruments are needed in this regard. The same goes for the UK. We have a clear understanding and agreement that both Governments can and will work together on a bilateral basis to ensure the common travel area survives Brexit. It was in place long before either country joined the European Union and it will be in place after Britain leaves.

At our last meeting, we discussed joint security concerns and issues and the need for co-operation. Ironically, it was just after or just before the appointment of the new Garda Commissioner, which was a very positive development in this regard. There will continue to be a need for discussion on the lack of functioning structures linked to the Good Friday Agreement. Both Governments are co-guarantors of the agreement and, clearly, many of its elements cannot function and are not functioning right now because of the inability to get an Executive up and running.

See this speech in context