Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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82. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of negotiations, particularly those relating to the Border region of counties Cavan and Monaghan, in view of Brexit and the possible re-introduction of a hard Border. [11047/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In the context of the Article 50 negotiations, progress has been made between the EU and UK negotiating teams on parts of the Withdrawal Agreement, including on the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. The UK has agreed that a legally operative version of the ‘backstop’ for the border will be included in the Withdrawal Agreement, in line with paragraph 49 of the Joint Report published last December, and that this will apply unless and until another solution is found. The UK has also agreed that all the issues identified in the EU draft of the Protocol will be addressed to deliver a legally sound solution to the border issue. We have always been clear that our preference is to avoid a hard border through a wider future relationship agreement between the EU and the UK, a view we share with the British Government. We look forward to seeing the UK’s detailed proposals in this regard, and proposals on specific solutions. The importance of avoiding a hard border to people living in all the border counties, including Cavan and Monaghan, cannot be underestimated and the Government is acutely conscious of this. The North South cooperation we enjoy today brings tangible benefits to the daily lives of people in the border region and contributes to economic opportunity and development. It is also a very practical outworking of the peace process which allows for the normalisation of relationships between people across the island, to mutual benefit. It is for these reasons that there cannot be a return to border infrastructure of any kind on this island.

Over the coming weeks, in addition to considering UK proposals on the border, our objective will be continue to close the remaining gaps to agree the Protocol. In this regard, the EU and UK agreed on an intensive schedule of meetings, which have started earlier this week. We expect that the Withdrawal Agreement should be finalised by October, to allow time for approval.