Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I had a lovely long weekend in Ballykissane, County Kerry, with neighbours and friends from my own parish of St. Matthew's in Ballymacarrett. We were there to remember a fellow man from our parish, Charles Monahan, who tragically lost his life on Good Friday 1916 as he went to meet Roger Casement, who was coming in on the Aud. I am sorry I did not see the Leas-Chathaoirleach when I was in County Kerry.

I met members of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum this morning to discuss a number of cross-Border issues. They are eager to engage with the youth forum here in the South. We might be able to facilitate that kind of engagement. As the Leader can imagine, Brexit was one of the main issues in our discussion. The Northern Ireland Youth Forum has written to the Taoiseach to seek to be included in the national dialogue, or to have advocates for or representatives of the youth sector involved in that process. Numerous sectors and walks of life are represented at the youth forum. I ask the Leader to convey to the Government the message that a broad range of young people are very keen to engage with the national dialogue on this issue. I think we should do everything we can to assist them and bolster their opportunities to get involved.

As we know, the implications of and fallout from Brexit will be most acutely felt by young people in the first instance. As they grow and develop into the uncertainty and the unknown dynamics of a post-Brexit scenario, they will be affected as workers and students. Brexit will have an impact on their rights as citizens, their ability to travel and their capacity to avail of all the legislation we have been lucky to avail of up to now.

One of the young people I met this morning made a point that really struck a note with me. Senator Feighan mentioned the development of Casement Park by the Ulster council of the GAA. I know that like me, he will be eager to buy tickets to attend some matches there. A young person asked me this morning what will happen to rugby. He said he plays for and supports Ulster, but not all of Ulster is in Northern Ireland. He asked whether there will be an impact on somebody coming from Monaghan to play at Ravenhill and vice versa. I do not make that point facetiously, a Leas-Chathaoirligh.