Farmers must be represented at Brexit talks

Ms Bradley said: “I recently visited a number of farming communities in my South Down constituency and they are rightly concerned about their short-term futures and some are fearful that they may well be the last generation to farm the family farm.

“Mr Kenny is the Prime Minister of a European Member state and all business people, members of civic society and politicians regardless of their political beliefs should take advantage of a proposal by someone that could be described as a friend ‘just over the ditch’ from us.”

Addressing the farmers in particular the South Down representative said: “It would be foolish to believe that the UK government will row in to help us when the inevitable difficulties surfaces on your farms. The Tory government has no record of support for the farming communities in England or elsewhere so why should we believe they will change their attitude?”

Concluding Ms Bradley said: “In the past five or six years the Executive is flying people around the globe in an effort to attract investment thus I fail to understand why politicians would refuse to engage in conversation that could be of benefit before and when Brexit finally hits us.”