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

The common travel area is a long-standing arrangement between Ireland and the UK which means Irish citizens can move freely to live, work and study in the UK on the same basis as UK citizens and vice versa. Both the Irish and British Governments have committed to the maintenance of the common travel area and the associated rights and entitlements of Irish and British citizens under this long-standing reciprocal arrangement in any circumstances.

I updated the Government on the common travel area at its meeting on 15 January 2019. Considerable progress has been achieved bilaterally in discussions with the UK over the past year involving several Departments in what has been a whole-of-Government exercise.

Ireland’s shared aim with the UK throughout has been to ensure the necessary arrangements are made in both countries so the common travel area can continue to function effectively after the UK leaves the EU. The bilateral work undertaken reaffirms the existing common travel area arrangements between Ireland and the UK and recognises the shared commitment of both to protect the associated reciprocal rights and privileges as a legitimate and fundamental public policy. It reaffirms the status that Irish and British citizens enjoy in each other's state, including the associated reciprocal rights and privileges covering free movement, the right to reside, the right to work without special permission as well as access to healthcare, social security, education at all levels and the right to vote in local and national parliamentary elections on the same basis as citizens of the other jurisdiction.

Neither Irish citizens in the UK nor British citizens in Ireland are required to take any action to protect their status and rights associated with the common travel area. After the UK leaves the EU, both Irish citizens in the UK and British citizens in Ireland will continue to enjoy these rights. Both the Irish and British Governments have committed to undertake all the work necessary, including through legislative provision, to ensure that the common travel area rights and privileges are protected. Bilateral arrangements as appropriate to each area of the common travel area will be concluded in due course and at the appropriate time. Some of that means legislation, both primary and secondary, but most of it is policy co-ordination.

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