Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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695. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his Department's plans regarding Brexit in view of the UK election result; his views on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28280/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The result of the UK general election does not change the Government’s commitment to ensuring the best possible outcome for Ireland in the upcoming Brexit negotiations. On 2 May, the Government published a comprehensive document, setting out in detail its approach to the forthcoming negotiations on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. This document was drafted with the Department of the Taoiseach and in consultation with all relevant Government Departments. The document reflects the findings and outcomes of the extensive preparatory work and consultations undertaken to date by the Government at EU level and on the island of Ireland, including through the All-Island Civic Dialogue. It focuses in particular on the withdrawal negotiations and also looks ahead to the future relationship negotiations and the issues that will need to be addressed in this second phase of the negotiations.

A priority for the Government over recent months has been to ensure that Ireland’s interests – as set out in the comprehensive document – are fully reflected in the EU’s negotiating position. The Government has undertaken an intensive campaign of engagement with EU partners and the EU institutions to ensure our specific concerns were fully recognised.

This campaign of engagement has delivered for Ireland. I welcome that the Negotiating Guidelines adopted by the European Council on 29 April and the more detailed negotiating directives adopted by the General Affairs Council on 22 May deliver on the objectives the Government identified in its comprehensive document published earlier this month.

I welcome the launch of formal negotiations yesterday and will have an opportunity to review this with EU partners in Luxembourg today. It is vital that in these opening discussions a positive tone is struck and that momentum in created so that progress can be made as quickly as possible on the many complex issues facing the negotiators

I have already begun the process of engaging with the new British Government and to engaging with our EU partners to ensure that these complex negotiations will be a success and that they deliver on our priorities of protecting the peace process, avoiding a hard border, maintaining the Common Travel Area, and minimising the impact on our economy and trade.