RTÉ host Brexit Breakfast Briefing

 

Yesterday, March 19th, RTÉ hosted a Brexit Breakfast Briefing for its commercial and public stakeholders in RTÉ TV Studios. The event is part of RTÉ’s ongoing commitment to engaging with those who support the breadth of RTÉ's work and contribution. The panel discussion was attended by a wide array of business leaders from telecoms to finance to automotive brands.

The panel which was chaired by Primetime’s Miriam O’Callaghan featured RTÉ’s Europe Editor, Tony Connelly, and Northern Ireland Editor, Tommie Gorman, two of RTÉ’s most knowledgeable experts on the subject of Brexit. They gave their analysis on the most recent developments as well as to the earliest stages of the Brexit process when much of what we are seeing today was formulated.

 

 

One of the most interesting questions raised about the Brexit process was how Ireland became the primary issue of the process. While many thought that money and the bill owing to the EU would be the main bone of contention once Teresa May invoked Article 50, two years ago, this has proven not to be the case. The meeting of history, economics, politics and emotion around the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as the proposed back-stop has been the biggest stumbling block in negotiations between Britain and the EU. The argument made by one member of the panel was that the EU has always been about borders. Before Article 50 was invoked, the focus was about the Free Travel Area, this didn’t take into account the much more complex question of goods, services and capital as it travels across the border.

Despite the focus on Ireland throughout the negotiations, there is still a great amount of goodwill to the Irish in Britain. One member of the audience said during the Q & A session that Irish goods have yet to be very badly affected in terms of British consumer preferences. The panel agreed with this summation but argued that the effect on Irish goods in Britain will only truly be seen once we know the potential tariffs that goods may be facing.

The panellists had highlighted the role of Jean-Claude Juncker in keeping Ireland front-and-centre of the negotiations. The fact that he himself is from a smaller nation may have some bearing on how highly he has placed the needs of Ireland in the priorities of the EU.

The discussion ended with a reminder that this is still only a transition period and that there are further negotiations to come after Britain leave the EU. In the end the negotiations around Brexit will continue for another decade at least unless there is a dramatic reversal.

RTÉ Director General, Dee Forbes, closed proceedings by thanking the panel for their insights and our guests for their attention. Highlighting that she and Jon Williams, Head of News and Current Affairs, had discussed the creation of a Brexit Correspondent position within the News and Current Affairs team but decided against it as with the teams across Brussels, London and Northern Ireland there was enough expertise within the team already to report on Brexit developments. She then emphasised the work the exceptional work that the teams have done to keep the nation informed despite the funding challenges that RTÉ face.