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

I will try to stick to them as well. I agree with Deputy Howlin. I also had a very good relationship with Keir Starmer when he was a Brexit spokesperson. We spoke regularly about the challenges of Brexit, as I also did with members of the Conservative Party. The dynamic and the numbers within the British Parliament have changed fundamentally since then. The current Government has a significant majority and we need to focus primarily on the people who will be making decisions, with the majority to pass them, in the British Parliament to ensure Ireland's interests are fully understood. That said, Keir Starmer's role as leader of the Opposition is a hugely important one and he is a very impressive leader of the British Labour Party. It is my intention to travel to London when I can to meet a number of senior UK politicians, which I hope will include the leader of the British Labour Party.

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