I’ve been reading Tony Connelly’s excellent book Brexit and Ireland. I was aware that Brexit was very serious for the Republic of Ireland, but Connelly’s book is essential reading for anyone with anything to do with the food industry, which includes me and probably you.

A bad Brexit has the ability to drive a terminal wedge between the trading relationships of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Not only that, but the peace process could easily break down; hard borders breed corruption and criminality as surely as night follows day.

At the time of the Brexit vote, I suggested that we as a country should at least discuss the possibility of the Republic following suit.

It didn’t go down well with some farmers, who were worried about their Single Farm Payments if we were outside the EU. That doesn’t worry me, because at the rate the BPS is diminishing it won’t be worth tuppence in 10 years’ time, particularly with the UK gone.

And besides, there will be so many hoops to jump through it won’t be worth the effort.

I’d prefer no subsidies and less regulation, but that won’t happen.

But all that aside, I was disappointed that there hasn’t been any national debate on the pros and cons of leaving the EU.

Such a debate would have, at the very least, strengthened our hand in dealing with the powers-that-be in Brussels. Instead, we as a country have once again opted to be the perfect little European. Commissioner Hogan will see to that.

However, it must be said that it could be plain foolish to forsake Brussels and fall in behind the UK. Once it is free of the EU, there is no guarantee that it will look to Ireland for its beef. But we are exposed to that risk either way.

According to Connelly, the UK buys almost €5bn of our food every year and we buy €3.2bn from them.

Larry Murrin of Dawn Farms makes a very relevant point that it has taken 50 years to build trade up to this level and to diversify all this – in a hard Brexit scenario – is well-nigh impossible.

There simply has to be free trade for goods and services between us and the UK and vice versa. We will become gravely ill, as an economy, if this relationship is damaged.

While the UK may survive without us, we produce the sort of food they want to buy. We have that unique advantage, which is further enhanced by our proximity to their market place.

In the talks to date, the Republic has very much sided with the EU.

We are not free to carry out bilateral talks with the UK and that is as it should be. But, nonetheless, we have to watch where our bread is buttered and we must make it perfectly clear that we won’t tolerate a hard Brexit. That wishy-washy agreement between the Taoiseach and Theresa May isn’t enough.

A bad Brexit that defaults to WTO tariffs and quotas will plunge us back to the grim days of the 1930s and the Economic War with Britain. Yes, I know there are other markets, but we are a natural fit with the UK.

The EU will have to be flexible on this, as it may be that the trading relationship between us and the UK will have to be preferential, as opposed to that between the UK and the rest of Europe.

Finally, Tony Connelly’s book gives a fascinating insight into the work of our senior civil servants and diplomats. I was really struck by how hard these guys work – much harder than min-till farmers.