Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is a fair point. At the end of the day, we control what we control on the EU side, and we have to presume that what the final set of agreements is would have reciprocal approaches on both sides. What we have always wanted, both in Ireland and as part of the EU, is as close a working relationship as possible with Great Britain. A huge amount of our trade, particularly in the agrifood sector, goes both ways across the Irish Sea. Anything other than a close working relationship makes no sense for either of us. One would definitely hope that common sense prevails in that regard.

In the context of what we can control, we control our own measures. Irrespective of what is going to happen in terms of a trade deal and whether that can be struck in the coming days, the fact is that circumstances will change after 1 January. My Department, through the State agencies, is working closely with the Irish agrifood business and processors to make sure they are prepared for those changes in dealing with Britain as a third country.

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