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'As the UK withdraws economic opportunities will arise. Ireland must aggressively pursue them'

As Chairman of the Seanad Special Select Committee, I will ensure that we will not spend our time analysing the problems Brexit poses, writes Neale Richmond.

SINCE 2013, WHEN then Prime Minister David Cameron announced that he intended to hold a referendum to ask the British people whether they should remain in the EU, Ireland has discussed at length the possible negative implications of Brexit.

We are well-informed as to the problems; now is the time to focus on solutions.

The Government has identified the impact on the economy, Northern Ireland and preserving the common travel area as its priorities in the negotiations.

The Seanad Special Select Committee

The Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union is a newly established Seanad committee, tasked with finding possible solutions to the challenges Brexit poses, in order to produce a report that will better inform negotiations.

In terms of membership, the Committee represents a wide spectrum of senators, all with differing opinions and experiences, but we are wholly united in our goal of contributing to trying to make Brexit as positive as possible for Ireland.

The varied areas of expertise from which our members are drawn will facilitate a more considered debate of the possible solutions to the uncertainty and challenges Brexit brings.

Constructive, positive input from the Seanad can and will now play an important role in laying the groundwork for a solutions-based approach to the negotiations.

Focusing on solutions not problems

As Chairman of the Seanad Special Select Committee, I will ensure that we will not spend our months analysing the problems Brexit poses.

Valuable work has already been done by numerous Joint Oireachtas Committees, who continue to produce reports on the potential impact that Brexit could have on jobs, trade, exports, investment, travel and the movement of people.

My Committee will now set about building on that work by holding a series of hearings that will specifically focus on the solutions to the many problems identified. To do this, we will invite experts and leading Brexit campaigners to come before the Committee.

The chairs of those Oireachtas Committees that have produced sectoral reports on Brexit will be invited to address the Seanad in plenary session, in order to facilitate substantial engagement on the recommendations contained within those reports.

The Seanad Special Select Committee will use the reports’ recommendations as the starting point for our work, taking an all-encompassing view of the sectoral issues. Our task is not to analyse once again the challenges posed by Brexit; the writing is on the wall and the UK will soon exit the EU. Our job is to find constructive potential solutions to the problems and work to safeguard Ireland’s strategic interests.

Timeframe

Our Committee will produce a report by the end of June 2017, which will form part of the overall negotiation strategy.

This report will be sent to all government departments, all member state governments, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council.

In February of this year, I was part of a cross-party delegation that travelled to Brussels for talks with EU Chief Negotiator on Brexit, Michel Barnier.

The report published by the Committee in June will be in response to a direct request for solutions from Mr Barnier and it is the Committee’s hope that the report will further inform negotiations.

Mitigating risks while looking for positives

As the UK withdraws from the EU, economic opportunities will arise and Ireland must aggressively pursue those opportunities, so while we remain mindful of the risks Brexit poses and will continue to work to mitigate those risks, we also have to look for positives.

In particular, we now need to look further East, beyond our traditional Anglo-Saxon markets, and assess the possibilities for Irish exports in the Asian markets and indeed, in other member states.

Ireland’s future is tied to Europe, but our relationship with the UK will always be vital. Ireland has an economic, historical, political, social and cultural relationship with the UK unlike any other member state of the EU; a relationship which literally spans centuries.

The Irish and UK economies are highly inter-dependent, notwithstanding our common access to the wider European single market. The peace process will undoubtedly be impacted by the UK departure; and the sizeable Irish community in the UK also have concerns about their status once the UK leaves the Union.

For these reasons and others, it is vital that we now stop analysing the many challenges Brexit brings and focus instead on what our future relationship with the European Union is going to look like, as well as how we can mitigate the negative effects of the UK departure on the peoples of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Neale Richmond is a Fine Gael Senator and Chairman of the Seanad Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU. The Committee will hold its first meeting today at 11am in the Seanad chamber.

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18 Comments
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    Mute conor
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    Oct 24th 2014, 5:54 PM

    This man should have more than 900,000 followers on facebook. His journey should be a lesson to all of us. A true human being, expanding our species knowledge.

    792
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    Mute Mike O Neill
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:06 PM

    I think you mean engrossed! Or at least I hope you did..

    719
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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:15 PM

    Actually couldn’t breath I was laughing so much. Sorry Pontius lol I’m feeling a bit overly giddy as I have a very rare night off .

    244
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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:17 PM

    It’s also official now. Journal commenters can bring ANY topic back to sex lol

    193
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    Mute Sam
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:51 PM

    Made me laugh out on a packed bus! I look like a right weirdo now

    149
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    Mute Mike O Neill
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    Oct 24th 2014, 7:30 PM

    Engorged, Cox, Spotted (Dick). Enjoy your night Catherine:)

    86
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    Mute Patrick O'Rourke
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    Oct 24th 2014, 11:30 PM

    A chair ?

    9
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    Mute Dr. Gonzo
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    Oct 25th 2014, 5:12 PM

    Batteries

    1
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    Mute Joe Lyster
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    Oct 24th 2014, 7:57 PM

    Did anyone else read his post with a computer voice in your head???

    453
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    Mute Debbie Duggan
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    Oct 25th 2014, 12:22 AM

    Yes I did..Lol..

    61
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    Mute BlueSkyThinking
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    Oct 25th 2014, 7:36 AM

    Everytime I hear the Benny Benassi song “satisfaction”, I thinks it’s Stephen Hawkings singing:
    http://youtu.be/V5bYDhZBFLA

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    Mute Eddie Gammell
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    Oct 25th 2014, 12:40 PM

    Absolutely

    4
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    Mute Eddie Gammell
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    Oct 25th 2014, 12:41 PM

    Absolutely I did akso

    1
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    Mute John Dunne
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:28 PM

    I bet anyone that seen his post and was reading it in there mind with Stephen voice… Be honest lol

    130
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    Mute Sarah Cullington
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:08 PM

    I am totally imagining him saying this in my head :)

    122
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    Mute Jackie Caruana
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    Oct 25th 2014, 7:09 AM

    Me too, I heard his voice

    8
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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Oct 25th 2014, 8:15 AM

    His voice?

    8
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    Mute L-Plate
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:17 PM

    He struck me as more of a candy crush person

    106
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    Mute doc samoflange
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    Oct 24th 2014, 5:58 PM

    can the author of this article please go back and edit in the bit that made his post brilliant, because I think it was left out

    76
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    Mute Ron North
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    Oct 24th 2014, 8:45 PM

    It’s a rubbish post. It’s not much better than a picture of a kitten.

    49
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    Mute Susan Adair Farrelly
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    Oct 24th 2014, 9:27 PM

    I see the twits are out in force tonight..

    38
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    Mute Una Doran
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    Oct 24th 2014, 11:39 PM

    Yea would not call it brilliant

    43
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    Mute Mick Bermingham
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    Oct 24th 2014, 5:57 PM

    great man

    67
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    Mute mick66
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    Oct 24th 2014, 10:43 PM

    According to Hawkins God was not necessary in the creation of the Universe. Now let’s hear the roar from the two camps!

    32
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    Mute Fraj Llecrup
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    Oct 25th 2014, 1:23 AM

    “According to Hawkins God was not necessary in the creation of the Universe”

    ……without a shred of evidence to back up that assumption!!

    25
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    Mute Bill
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    Oct 25th 2014, 6:32 AM

    I rather think the God squad need to prove that she/it/he exists rather than us non believers

    27
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    Mute Martin Posters Moore Street
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    Oct 24th 2014, 5:58 PM

    And now i can see forever

    31
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    Mute Byyys
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:35 PM

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J815z_zN4LY – David Blaine did a trick with Stephen. think he was impressed.

    20
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    Mute Collins Dermot
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    Oct 25th 2014, 12:27 AM

    I think his theory’s are absurd

    16
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    Mute Raymond Connolly
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    Oct 24th 2014, 10:13 PM

    It’s brilliant ?

    15
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    Mute molly coddled
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    Oct 25th 2014, 1:06 AM

    Stephen hawking.
    Legend.
    Says it in a nutshell.

    12
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    Mute Chewey Bacca
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    Oct 25th 2014, 12:05 AM

    Even the Lego Hawking is class

    11
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    Mute Jenny Brandon
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    Oct 24th 2014, 11:04 PM

    We are like ants on wheels to whoever the greater power is looking down or even up at us!

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    Mute Chewey Bacca
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    Oct 25th 2014, 12:04 AM

    That’s it. The ANTS !!! Their controlling us from underground

    18
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    Mute Mick Bermingham
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:56 PM

    ok

    8
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    Mute Mick Bermingham
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    Oct 24th 2014, 6:55 PM

    ni

    7
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    Mute Collins Dermot
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    Oct 25th 2014, 3:55 AM

    His first and his last what if he was just talking D piss

    6
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    Mute RFZmK5Va
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    Oct 25th 2014, 3:32 AM

    The mans a fraud, he’s paying the water charges

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    Mute Dr'Wesley O'hÁlpin
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    Oct 25th 2014, 9:01 AM

    Was it just me or did anyone else read it hearing his voice?

    2
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