Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy. One of the few silver linings in the dark cloud of Brexit was Rosslare. There is no question that the Franco-Irish relationship has gained a fresh momentum as a consequence of Brexit in terms of the connections but also culturally, educationally and economically. I was in Paris in August. I was launching a Gaelic games activity in the context of the Olympics. There is a spread of Gaelic games in France, in Normandy and Brittany and so on, and it is the French citizens who are leading the charge. It is not expats or the Irish living there, although some of them are doing it too. A number of French communities are enthused and it is in the schools in the area. Of course the education research links are very strong. The interconnector is going ahead and we would like a second interconnector between Ireland and France. There is also the British and Irish Film Festival, which is held in Dinard and which was on last week. There is lots going on and I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy.

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