Irish politics has been more than an interested spectator in the Brexit referendum debate, with most parties taking an active role.
This has included visits to Britain and Northern Ireland by prominent figures of the leading parties.
Unlike the Tories in Britain, there are no internal splits within the parties here on the issue.
Sinn Féin is the only bigger party with a lingering suspicion of the EU - even though it is campaigning for a Remain vote.
Here is how the parties stand on the issue ahead of polling day on Thursday:
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is strongly in favour of Britain remaining in the EU. It has defended the participation of its most senior figures, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny, in the campaign on the basis that Ireland’s relationship with the UK is closer than with any other member state.
All of its senior Ministers (with the exception of Michael Noonan) have visited the North or Britain during the campaign.
It has set out four reasons for its stance – the negative impact Brexit would have on the Irish economy; that EU membership has benefited Northern Ireland; the repercussions Brexit will have for the common travel area between the UK and Ireland (with Border posts and custom checks mentioned); and a wider European argument that the EU needs Britain to give it more weight.
Fianna Fáil
Micheál Martin has visited the North and Britain to reinforce his party’s key argument which is that Brexit would be “bad for Britain, bad for Ireland, bad for
Europe
and bad for the world”.
Fianna Fáil has taken issue with the economic arguments for leaving, saying that EU regulations have boosted trade and employment.
“They provide the practical foundation for the bulk of workers’ rights and have been proven time and again to be the most powerful weapon available to support socially and environmentally responsible development,” Martin said last week.
Fianna Fáil also wants a situation where there is the freest possible interaction of people, trade and capital between Ireland and Britain. That would be impossible, it has argued, if Brexit were to come about. It has also raised concerns over the ramifications of quitting the EU for the Border between North and South.
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin has opposed every European referendum, but its position has changed from Eurosceptic to “Euro-critical” in recent years. That is shorthand for a more nuanced position where it essentially supports the concept of the EU but argues the operation and political direction of the bloc needs radical change.
It was a major departure for the party to say it was supporting the Remain campaign as, despite presenting a united face, the party was divided on the issue.
One of the problems Brexit would cause for Sinn Féin is that the Northern part of this all-Ireland party would be outside the EU, with the Southern part in.
It has predominantly local fears, such as that Brexit could lead to further division and restoration of the Border, thereby reinforcing partition.
MEP Matt Carthy also expressed concern over the potential effects of a British exit on the North's economy and trade.
Labour
Party leader
Brendan Howlin
visited Britain last week and delivered a strongly pro-EU speech, tracing the growing Irish-UK relationship over 43 years of EU membership. “What divides us is less than what unites us now,” he said.
“The Downing Street Declaration and the Good Friday Agreement are the outcomes of British and Irish politicians working together. They represent the end to a ‘winner takes all’ view of politics.”
The party also argues the creation of a European community has deterred conflict and war, and that the EU will benefit from having a strong British voice.
AAA-PBP
The alliance supports Brexit - but for very different reasons to Tory advocates in Britain. It supports the campaign of Left Exit, which sets out reasons for leaving which include that the EU is unaccountable, undemocratic and beyond reform; it has doled out austerity to member states while backing a big business agenda; and is scathing of what it calls “Fortress Europe” and the closing of borders to refugees.
The alliance believes the mindsets of those running the EU are right-wing and neoliberal.
Green Party
The Green Party is strongly pro-EU, although there has always been some quiet dissent over measures that have derived from
Brussels
.
Party leader Eamon Ryan has warned that Brexit will affect the "wider cohesion" of the EU, a reference to it perhaps having a domino effect upon states such as the Netherlands and France.
The party has pointed, unsurprisingly, to the effect EU habitats directives and laws have had in protecting the Irish environment.
Social Democrats
The party has adopted no position on Brexit and holds the view it is a matter for the British electorate and not for an Irish political party.
Independents
The Independents with the strongest views on this matter are on the left, with many among them supporting Brexit. However, none of the Independent TDs have campaigned openly on this issue.
The strongest advocate of Brexit is Independent MEP Luke Flanagan. He based part of his campaign in 2014 on his opposition to the way the EU was being run.
He claimed it was unaccountable and undemocratic. He has been unambiguous in his support for Brexit.
