A junior minister says the process of Britain leaving the EU will take at least two years, and possibly longer.
Donegal Fine Gael Deputy Joe McHugh says that in the meantime, there will be no changes to our relationship with the UK.
But he says Brexit will be closely watched in Donegal as it is something that will affect all areas of commerce and trade, from tourism to agrifood.
He says the first thing that will happen is that there will be complex and sometimes very difficult negotiations, in which Ireland will be part of the team of 27 countries staying in the EU.
And while he acknowledges that there are concerns, he says there are also opportunities:
