Fine Gael will promote a strong and comprehensive response to Brexit to help counter the impact on Ireland – Heydon

Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party and Kildare South TD, Martin Heydon, has said that Fine Gael believes in Ireland being at the heart of Europe, and that the Party will be working hard to ensure we have a strong and comprehensive response to Brexit to help counter the impact on Ireland. Deputy Heydon was speaking at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, where he was attending the All-Island Civic Dialogue on Brexit in his role as Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party.

“Fine Gael has always been at the heart of Europe and we will be working hard to ensure that Ireland remains integral to the EU in the wake of the Brexit vote. It is crucial that we have a strong and comprehensive response to Brexit, and both the Taoiseach and the Government are already working extremely hard to limit and counter any adverse impact on Ireland.

“Fine Gael has established a Brexit response working group, designed to coordinate engagement between the Fine Gael Party and the key stakeholders in the sections of society most likely to be impacted by the Brexit process. The group is comprised of two strands; the North-South Stream, Chaired by Fergus O’Dowd TD, and the Domestic Stream, Chaired by Alan Farrell TD.

“As Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, I will be working closely with my colleagues on this working group to ensure that we as a Party have a strong and comprehensive response to Brexit. We will engage with political parties and stakeholders in Northern Ireland, and we will also engage with key stakeholders in the border region, which is particularly impacted by Brexit. In the South we will host regional seminars and public meetings to which local interested parties will be invited to discuss the potential impact of Brexit on all regions across Ireland.

“Engagement with our European colleagues will also be key. I will be attending an important plenary meeting of Party Chairs of the European People’s Party in Brussels this coming Monday and I will take the opportunity to highlight Fine Gael’s comprehensive response to Brexit.”