Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish first to reaffirm our commitment to trying to support business across the island and making sure that we mitigate and minimise the impacts of Brexit and Covid. These events are all coming at a very inopportune time. We have always tried to engage with the representative groups of the sectors most impacted in Northern Ireland when it came to our preparedness, but obviously there is a limit to what we can do in Northern Ireland and that is why it is so important that the Executive is up and running. I refer also the New Decade, New Approach document which has been agreed. It is extremely important in setting out shared goals and objectives for the entire region, not just related to Brexit but in terms of developing infrastructure and relations on this island. We are absolutely committed to working with our colleagues in the North to try to mitigate any of the impacts not just on the Border communities but on the island of Ireland as a whole.

In the scenario the Deputy painted, there are a lot of different movements. Any movements between the UK and Northern Ireland are a matter for the UK Government. The outcome in respect of the overall agreement between the EU and the UK will have an implication for any movements between Ireland and the UK.

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