Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Minister says there is no prospect of controls going into the likes of Rotterdam or Calais for goods coming directly from Ireland. However, the papers last week quoted the Taoiseach as saying that was a possibility. Dan O'Brien in the Irish Independenthas raised real concerns as to the impact of that on Irish business, suggesting it could exclude us from the Single Market. Has the Minister had any discussion with her European colleagues, or has her Department had any discussion with European officials, on that prospect? If the Taoiseach says it is a possibility, what preparations is her Department making? How can the Minister reassure us this is not a possibility should a hard Brexit come to pass? Has the Copenhagen economic study to which she referred examined the economic consequences if that did arise, given that the Taoiseach himself has said it is a possibility?

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