Marty McGuinnes, the deputy first Minister of Northern Ireland expressed his concerns about the future of Northern Ireland in the wake of the Brexit referendum result in a meeting with Maltese MEP Alfred Sant during a visit to the European Parliament. 

Mr McGuinnes was also concerned that the Good Friday Agreement which brought peace to Ireland could be undermined as a result of Brexit.

Dr Sant augured that the Brexit negotiations would take full account of Ireland's specific situation and that he would back, within the S&D and the European Parliament, all moves that ensured that an eventual Brexit settlement would safeguard Irish open borders.