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Committees

Brexit: UK-Irish relations follow-up inquiry

Inquiry

This inquiry is a follow-up to the Committee's December 2016 report on Brexit: UK-Irish relations.

The Committee's original report found that the implications of Brexit for Ireland were more profound than they are for any other Member State, giving rise to a series of complex and interconnected questions, affecting UK-Irish relations, Northern Ireland, and North-South relations on the island of Ireland. The Committee warned that closer UK-Irish relations and stability in Northern Ireland must not become 'collateral damage' of Brexit.

There have been significant developments since the report was published, including:

Following the triggering of Article 50, the commencement of discussions on the implications of Brexit for Northern Ireland and Ireland as one of the three 'phase 1' negotiation issues
The publication by the UK Government of a Position Paper on Northern Ireland and Ireland in August 2017, followed in September by publication by the European Commission of Guiding Principles on the Dialogue on Ireland/ Northern Ireland
The agreement in December 2017 of a Joint Report from the UK and EU negotiators on progress during the phase 1 negotiations, paving the way for discussions on the UK’s future relationship with the EU to commence.

Issues to be considered

This follow-up inquiry will review the impact of Brexit on UK-Irish relations, in light of the developments outlined above, with particular emphasis on:

The implications for UK-Irish relations of the December Joint Report on progress made during the phase 1 negotiations
The key priorities and issues to be addressed in relation to Ireland and Northern Ireland in phase 2 of the negotiations
The status of the Irish land border, and options for maintaining frictionless cross-border trade between Ireland and Northern Ireland
The extent to which the views of both the unionist and nationalist communities in Northern Ireland are being taken into account during the Brexit negotiations
The impact of the continuing Brexit negotiations on North-South and East-West relations.