I welcome the fact that the UK Government is moving towards regulatory alignment for agricultural and manufactured products in a possible Brexit deal, but we need other regulatory alignments. I cite the example of regulations for the environment, which knows no borders. Do we know whether regulatory alignment will apply to the likes of the habitats directive, the water framework directive and the nitrates directive? Will those directives be justiciable on all of this island via the Court of Justice of the European Union? The waters of the Shannon rise in Fermanagh. The water that arrives in a house in Dundalk crosses the Border three or four times on its journey from its source. Slurry coming from certain Northern Ireland farms will be spread in the South. Are we certain that this regulatory alignment is also now agreed?

I am slow to get into too much of that detail, but I note that if we have full alignment then we have to have a level playing-field and agreement on the rules of the Single Market. We obviously cannot have farmers in Northern Ireland producing food according to a totally different set of rules and regulations to farmers south of the Border and expect there to be no requirement for Border checks. Regulatory alignment means that we operate by the same rulebook on both sides of the Border. That goes beyond rules of origin and labelling rules. It applies across the board. That is part of the UK's proposal, but nothing is agreed yet. We simply have a proposal that is the focus of discussion and hopefully will soon be under serious negotiation. As I said earlier, it is not the basis of what an agreement will be if it happens, but it certainly needs to be the basis of a discussion.

The Tories know very little about Ireland and they care much less. People across the country are starting to realise that. We have realised that because of the Border they have an influence on whether or not we can move people, products and services across Ireland, and that they can also determine whether we have a peaceful future in this country or not. Brexit has highlighted in flashing neon lights the influence the Tories have and how they determine our future here in Ireland. The opinion polls have shown that for the first time in history, the majority of people in the North of Ireland and in the South of Ireland believe that the best solution to this is an all-Ireland solution. However, there is no Government planning for this at all. A new Ireland forum would provide an opportunity for people across the 32 counties of various civil and political views to work in partnership and map out how Irish people can determine our future together, without negative influence from London. Will the Minister develop such a forum?

First, I note that we are trying to find all-island solutions to the challenges posed by Brexit. That is exactly what we have been doing for almost three years now. That is why we are looking for alignment; to protect the functioning of an all-island economy. That is why we are trying to protect the Good Friday Agreement and its institutions, even though those institutions are not up and running right now. The all-island approach is central to finding solutions to the challenges Brexit throws up. However, we also have to recognise that there are different perspectives on this island, particularly in Northern Ireland, and we also have to listen to and understand the concerns and fears of unionism as well as nationalism. That is what we are trying to do. I do not believe that now is the time to set up a forum on Irish unity, which is how this would be seen. There is already enough tension and difficulty between communities. There is a lot of fear and we need to provide certainty and calm. That does not mean we will not think about these issues in the future.