CIVIC society must be "part of the conversation" in finding lasting solutions to the Northern Ireland Protocol, Dublin's committee on implementing the Good Friday Agreement has been told.
Members of the Ad-Hoc Group for North-South and East-West Cooperation said civic groups can be "invaluable partners" in shaping relationships in Ireland and Britain post-Brexit.
Speaking at a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, the group's Dr Anthony Soares, also director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies, said civic society organisations had been at the forefront of supporting communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The same can be said in the brokerage and maintenance of a more peaceful society," he said,
"Sustainable solutions will not be found if they are sought exclusively by speaking with one particular sector, nor will they be found by looking exclusively within Northern Ireland. Civic Society must be part of the conversation."
Mr Soares said most Brexit-related discussions since the referendum had been "mostly focused on technical issues around trade".
"Even though this is important, relations between people, within and across these islands cannot be largely ignored."
He was joined at the meeting by fellow Ad-Hoc Group members including Chris Quinn, Director of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum.
Mr Soares said with the "proper support" civic groups "will be invaluable partners in the task of shaping the new context we find ourselves in".
