merrion street

Minister of State for European Affairs, Dara Murphy TD, today begins a visit to the Slovak Republic, Austria and Hungary. The visit is taking place as part of the Government's programme of engagement with EU partners, in advance of the UK triggering Article 50, which is expected by the end of March at the latest, and the beginning of the Brexit negotiations.

Speaking before his departure the Minister said:

"The Government is very firmly focused on protecting and advancing Ireland's interests on Brexit at every turn. As the Taoiseach stated in his keynote address last week, how we deal with Brexit will define the future of our island for decades to come. Our preparations for Brexit have been ongoing for two years now and a critical part of our plan is ensuring that, before negotiations begin, our EU partners and the institutions fully understand our concerns and priorities.

"We've been pursuing an extensive programme of engagements with our fellow EU Member States, in capitals and on the margins of Council meetings. My visit to Bratislava, Vienna and Budapest this week presents another important opportunity to put forward Ireland's priorities on Brexit with three of our EU partners.

"As with all of our engagements with partners, this visit to Slovakia, Austria and Hungary is as much about listening as it is about presenting our own issues. We will be negotiating as part of one EU team so it's critical that we also understand the different perspectives around the table. When negotiations start, Ireland will be ready."