Neale Richmond

I can't believe we're net contributors to the EU.

It's a good thing if you're a net contributor.

We're much happier that Ireland's a net contributor.

The British had also negotiated a series of carve-outs over the years, just like the Danes had and indeed Ireland had in various areas.

But trying to rejoin doesn't mean that you inherit all those carve-outs that you had before and various things that you had derogations on.

Equally, the UK literally paid a price to leave the EU.

There is a divorce settlement.

There is that requirement.

So just thinking you can just jump back in and everything's tickety-boo is unlikely.

And there's certainly a lot of people within European circles who would look at Britain getting closer as a good thing.

But is it realistic that they're going to rerun a referendum only 10 years on, even if the decision of the referendum was absolutely ridiculous by any objective measure?

100%.

100%.

Like, it has really weakened the EU that we don't have one of the world's largest economies, one of the world's most powerful countries as a member state.

From an Irish point of view, very selfishly, the British were a really important ally within the EU for so many years.

And even the ability to meet British ministers every couple of weeks at a European Council...

I'm meeting a British minister tomorrow afternoon, but that doesn't come with the regularity.

We don't have, literally last week the Taoiseach was attending a European Council meeting with all the other heads of state.

Now when he meets the British Prime Minister or whoever will become the British Prime Minister, it is an event.

It's not the regularity.