I start by offering the sincere sympathies of my party and my leader, Deputy Micheál Martin, on the death of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick of the Irish Coast Guard who was buried at the weekend. We also extend our thoughts and prayers to the families of the missing crewmen of Rescue 116, Captain Mark Duffy, and winch crew, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith, at this incredibly difficult time for their families and friends.

In a moment, we will have an opportunity to convey our sympathies on the untimely passing of the late Martin McGuinness, the former deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. I will say a few words on that in due course. I acknowledge also the passing of Maureen Haughey, wife of the late Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, mother of our colleague, Deputy Seán Haughey, and daughter of former Taoiseach, Seán Lemass. We also acknowledge and extend our sympathies on the tragic death of the young Derry City footballer, Ryan McBride, over the weekend.

Given that Prime Minister Theresa May announced that she will formally pull the trigger on Article 50 in eight days' time, 29 March, the realities and challenges that Brexit poses on the island of Ireland are now becoming all too real. This trigger means that Brexit will have to take place by March 2019 unless the UK and the remaining 27 member states of the European Union agree to extend the exit talks. As a country, we need to have a number of clear and key priorities in the negotiations, namely, protection of the common travel area between Ireland and the UK; protecting the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement that underpins it and ensuring there is no hard border of any sort on the island of Ireland; and protecting the enormously important trading relationship we have with the UK. The Taoiseach does not need to be reminded of the importance of that trading relationship, with around 14% of all Irish exports going to the UK, but for many indigenous Irish firms, in particular manufacturing firms and those involved in agrifood, for example, the dependence is far greater.

The one thing we must avoid is the cliff effect of the UK falling out of the European Union in two years' time with no interim deal agreed on trade arrangements. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, alluded to that in recent days. Is it the negotiating position of the Government that there would be an interim deal on how trade between Ireland and the UK and with the remainder of the European Union will be conducted post-Brexit and in advance of any long-term deal on the overall trading arrangement between Ireland, the EU and the UK? We now have an overall timeline.

We know Mr. Donald Tusk has confirmed there will be a meeting of the European Council on 29 April. We also know the European Union General Affairs Council will meet some time in mid-May to adopt formal negotiating directives, with talks now finally getting under way perhaps in late May or early June. The country now deserves to know if Deputy Enda Kenny will be the Taoiseach attending the European Council summit on 29 April. Will he be the Taoiseach in office when the General Affairs Council holds its meeting in mid-May? Will he be the captain of the ship, as such, when these critical negotiations for the future of our country get under way in late May or early June? We deserve clarity on that aspect.

I welcome the comments by Deputy Michael McGrath in respect of the efforts being made to complete the recovery of Rescue 116. I was down there yesterday and there was a very heavy swell. There is great co-ordination and communication between all the agencies under the direction of the coastguard. It is very professional and I hope the window with the weather will arise this week so they can make the recovery of the crew members, black boxes and the wreckage in order to determine what happened in this tragedy.

I was not in a position to attend the funeral of the late Mrs. Haughey this morning. I met her on a number of occasions over the years and I sent my aide-de-camp to represent my office as I was in attendance at Cabinet. We will have an opportunity for short statements in respect of the death of Mr. Martin McGuinness, a peacemaker, now departed. I concur with the Deputy's comments on the death of the young captain of the Derry City team and others mentioned.

In addition to the points raised by Deputy Michael McGrath, it is clear our priorities are the common travel area, the protection of the peace process, the non-return to a hard Border and the maintenance of the trading relationship between Ireland and the UK. More important to all our futures is the position of Ireland as a member of the European Union. We will continue to negotiate and participate as a member of those 27 member states. The timescale has been set out and greater clarity is now being brought to the issue with the announcement by the British Prime Minister on the triggering of Article 50. The European Council will respond to this and Ireland is being asked, along with other countries, to put forward its view in respect of the draft negotiations. They will be on the lines I have mentioned.

I do not attend General Affairs Council meetings but I expect to attend the European Council meeting on 29 April and have set out the grounds that we consider really critical in terms of the negotiations to be conducted, which will last for quite a while. It is my view that a transition period must be involved in terms of the trading relationships that will apply. The British Government wants as close a relationship as possible with the European Union and I support that principle. It is how one has that relationship, having been removed from the Single Market and changed position with regard to the customs union, that will be the net point of the negotiations.