Page 143 of the programme for Government states that the Government will use appropriate avenues to express its perspective on the UK's membership of the EU. Can the Tánaiste advise me as to what has happened with the British Government directly as of yet? Has this taken place? Could he also advise me how the Government has tried to persuade the British Government and the DUP that leaving the customs union and the Single Market should be reconsidered by the UK in its entirety?

I expect that the British Government will have a very active debate on this issue in the coming months because under the details that will be published tomorrow, there will be a clear understanding that, by March, there will be an update of those guidelines, the content of which will be determined by the British Government's approach to phase two negotiations, in other words, the kind of trade relationship it wants between the EU and the UK in the future. That debate will obviously bring into focus some of the issues the Deputy raised today. For months, the Irish Government's position has been that we would like to see the British Government take a position whereby it is part of an extended customs union and Single Market to allow for barrier-free trade between the UK and the EU. We believe that is in the best interests of Ireland and the UK.