Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Many of the points I wished to raise were covered by the Deputy McGrath. If I understand the Minister correctly, he is saying that he is not aware of what the British Government is planning to do in this regard. Could the Minister outline his engagements with his counterpart and where they are at this point in time in relation to this issue? This issue would also affect the North of Ireland and it has a major potential implication. It is surprising, given the focus on the Border on the island of Ireland, that we still do not know if the British authorities are going to reciprocate in this regard. That would mean the status quowould remain. If that is not the case, there would be changes and questions on how this would be monitored and supervised.

Will the Minister outline the engagements he has had with his counterpart, where they are at and when the UK is likely to make a determination on this issue? If the UK decides not to reciprocate, this will not be commenced. What will be the impact on the island of Ireland in that scenario?

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