I congratulate the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and our diplomatic corps on their recent success in the Brexit negotiations. On this basis, does the Taoiseach agree that, despite the ongoing EU negotiations, the Irish Government should continue its attempts to encourage the Conservative Party and the DUP to reconsider the UK in its entirety leaving the EU customs union and the Single Market? In addition, as a Deputy from a Border constituency, I ask him to ensure that the Border counties of Ireland have the Government's full support in this regard.

To answer the second of the Deputy's questions, of course we will do everything we can for the Border counties and to avoid any new barriers to trade or movement between Northern Ireland and Ireland. It is, of course, the United Kingdom's decision to leave the customs union and Single Market, albeit one we regret.