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

I do not disagree with the points being made and this is completely inconsistent with the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement. As part of a peace process, we have created a position where a seamless Border allows goods, services and people to move across that Border. It was clearly assisted by joint EU membership but also the aspirations around North-South co-operation. These were all about trying to ensure we had an all-island economy that could function and allow people to move around to work and study, as well as everything else. For the British Government to essentially make the case that the Border between Northern Ireland and the South is no different from any other borders that the UK may have when it comes to people entering the UK is patently nonsense. We have special arrangements because we have a special history on this island marked by violence and a very dark period.

We have been and will continue making our view very clear on this. The Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, has been very clear with her counterpart, Ms Priti Patel, and she will write to her again on this matter. I have made my view clearly known to the Secretary of State and I have certainly raised it with my counterpart, Ms Liz Truss, as well. I expect the Taoiseach has also raised it with the British Prime Minister. I would have to check that but if he has not, he will certainly do so.

We have focused on trying to make relatively low-key interventions and not turn this into a political football. It is about trying to get sensible changes made to this legislation. Unfortunately, that has not worked to date. The embassy has been very active on this matter. I have made it very clear to the Secretary of State, Mr. Brandon Lewis, that the Irish Government cannot and will not support or condone this and we will continue to lobby hard to change it. I hope we will be successful.

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