Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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338. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on Mr. Michel Barnier's comments on 6 December 2016 regarding Brexit and in particular his comments regarding the conclusion of the Brexit negotiations being in autumn 2018. [40117/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Michel Barnier took office as head of the European Commission’s Brexit Taskforce on 1 October 2016. As agreed at the meeting of the EU 27 Heads of State or Government at their meeting on 15 December, Mr. Barnier be the EU’s chief negotiator with the UK once the British Government has triggered Article 50, which the British Prime Minister has confirmed will be no later than the end of March.

In the negotiations, the Commission and Mr. Barnier will be mandated by the Council, under the political guidance of the European Council.

Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union provides the legal framework for withdrawal by a Member State. As set out in the Article and as stated by Michel Barnier during his press conference on 6 December, an agreement between the EU and the UK on British withdrawal has to be concluded within two years of the triggering of Article 50 unless there is a unanimous decision by the European Council to extend this period. This timeframe includes both the negotiations themselves and the approval processes for the agreed outcome on both the EU and UK sides. This includes the need for the European Parliament to give its consent to the withdrawal agreement. In terms of the UK, Prime Minister May confirmed in her speech on 17 February that she will seek the approval of the UK Parliament for the agreement. The time to complete these procedures must be built into the two year period.

The exit agreement has to take account of the framework for future relations between the EU and UK. This broader issue should therefore be discussed in the same timeframe and it is to be hoped that a joint understanding will be reached. However, formal negotiations on a future EU-UK agreement or agreements can only begin after the UK has left the EU. Given Prime Minister May’s recent statement, these negotiations are likely to be complex and multifaceted and may well last a period of several years. Ratification by all Member States and the European Parliament is also most likely to be required.

Consideration will also need to be given in due course to the need for a transition period between both agreements, which would also need to be negotiated and agreed by both sides.

Regarding Michel Barnier’s wider comments last month, I welcome his clear statement that Irish issues will be a priority in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations.

Ireland’s engagement with Mr. Barnier and his Taskforce at political and official levels has been and continues to be very constructive. Dublin was one of the first capitals visited by Mr. Barnier in his Brexit role. During his visit on 12 October last, in addition to my own bilateral meeting with him, he had very positive discussions with the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, and the Minister of State for European Affairs.

For my own part I had an excellent exchange with Mr. Barnier; he is well-known to us in Ireland, has a strong appreciation of our close historical, political and economic ties with the UK, and also knows of our strong commitment to EU membership. During our discussions, I took the opportunity to emphasise Ireland's unique set of priorities with regard to Brexit, and the many complex issues relating to Northern Ireland, the Common Travel Area and the depth of our economic and trade relationship with the UK.

Mr. Barnier will have a critically important role to play in the forthcoming negotiations. At political and official levels we will continue to work closely with the Commission team as we address the particular challenges ahead.