Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

23. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has commenced a plan for the way in which the common travel area may operate if a hard border is introduced following Brexit. [48310/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Maintaining the Common Travel Area is a Government priority in the Brexit negotiations. The Common Travel Area is an important feature of the close relationship Ireland enjoys with the UK, with long-established bilateral benefits which enable activity between Ireland and in the UK in many areas including, for example, in trade and tourism. It means that Irish and British citizens can live, work, study, and access health, housing, welfare and pensions in each other’s countries. Importantly, it also underpins the citizenship provisions of the Good Friday Agreement. The CTA is an arrangement that is valued on both islands and continuation of this arrangement is a stated objective of both the Irish and UK Governments. The CTA pre-dates Irish and UK membership of the EU and is not dependent on EU membership.

Work to maintain the Common Travel Area is ongoing. The EU’s Guidelines and Negotiating Directives clearly provide for the continuation of bilateral agreements and arrangements between the UK and Ireland which are compatible with EU law. I welcome progress in the most recent rounds of negotiations on advancing joint principles on the continuation of the Common Travel Area and the support that has been shown by our EU partners to date in working towards this objective.

The border issue is complex, but the Government has been clear in its position that there can be no hard border on this island. I welcome that the UK Government shares this objective but I have been clear that it is up to the UK to propose workable solutions to ensure that this objective is realised. The continuing operation of the Common Travel Area is just one aspect in addressing this challenge. The work to date in the EU-UK negotiations on the Common Travel Area has been positive and, with my colleagues across Government, I will continue in my efforts to ensure that the Common Travel Area and its associated rights and privileges are maintained.