Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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117. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has communicated a position to the Government's view of the position which should be reflected in the mandate being prepared and is due to be given to the European Commission for trade negotiations with UK; if the Government emphasised the importance of ongoing equivalence in equality, employment and environmental standards within such negotiations; if he has expressed a view for or against the inclusion of investor courts in this trade mandate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44261/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Article 50 negotiations between the EU and the UK are proceeding on the basis of the phased approach set out in the European Council Guidelines of 29 April 2017.

Ireland fully supports this approach, which foresees that discussions on the future EU-UK relationship, including trade, will get underway as soon as sufficient progress has been made on the EU’s key priorities under the withdrawal process – notably citizens’ rights, the UK’s financial settlement and the Irish specific issues.

At EU level, my immediate focus is therefore on working with my EU counterparts to ensure the negotiations continue in a positive and constructive manner with a view to ensuring that swift progress can be made on the withdrawal issues. This will be vital in ensuring that the parallel discussions on the future EU-UK relationship, including in relation to trade, can begin as soon as possible.

In parallel, I am working intensively with colleagues from across all Departments to ensure a coordinated Government response to Brexit. Work at Cabinet level is being prepared through cross-Departmental coordination structures, chaired at very senior level by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. These represent a frequent and active channel through which all relevant Departments are providing their input to the Government’s wider response to Brexit, including its priorities for the ongoing Article 50 negotiations between the EU and the UK.

This work is building upon the extensive cross-Government research, analysis and consultation with stakeholders that has already been undertaken, including as reflected in the comprehensive document “Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union: The Government’ Approach”published on 2 May. This document set out key aspects of the Government’s overall approach, including that any future Free Trade Agreement with the UK should promote regulatory conformity, ensure ways to manage potential regulatory divergence, and impose the disciplines needed in order to ensure a level playing field. Such an agreement should also include a robust dispute resolution mechanism and associated enforcement process, and these or similar mechanisms will also be necessary to ensure that agreed rules and undertakings in other areas are honoured.Future tariff arrangements will be a key focus, as will the need to minimise any burdens of customs or transit costs. Our hope is that a largely or wholly tariff-free arrangement will be possible.

Ireland’s overriding position is that a future EU-UK Free Trade Agreement should be comprehensive and ambitious and as wide as possible in its scope, while ensuring a level playing field and protecting the integrity of the Single Market. This is an outcome that I will be working hard to achieve with my EU27 counterparts.