Clarity on EU Rules of Origin is needed to maintain agri-sector investment in Cavan and Monaghan.
At an Oireachtas Committee discussing the impact of Brexit on the food and drinks sector in Ireland, the issue of cross-border milk processing was highlighted as a particular concern.
It's common that milk from both sides of the border are mixed together for pasteurisation, however the end product is then of "mixed-origin" and can't be sold through EU trade deals to countries outside of the bloc.
Senator Joe O'Reilly highlighted that Lakeland Dairies is an important employer across plants in Cavan and Monaghan, and stressed that those jobs must be protected.
Conor Mulvihill, the Director of Dairy Industry Ireland, said a lot of regional investors are depending on cross border produce getting island of Ireland EU status.
