Elisha McCallion (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that tomorrow we will have the first meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council. It is a very important meeting, as everyone will agree, and an important forum as part of the all-Ireland framework as together we try to deal with the many issues that face us on an all-Ireland basis. Not least of those is the current pandemic and what seems to be the strong possibility, as we are hearing from Europe, that we could be dealing with a no-deal Brexit come January. It is alarming to hear such reports being leaked from Europe. I note the briefing document that the Minister, Deputy Coveney, referenced yesterday. It is difficult to understand how we are going to come through this pandemic with the fear of a no-deal Brexit. We should all be concerned about it. I am especially concerned for the 300 mile stretch of the Border constituencies that without a doubt will be some of the worst impacted in both scenarios. I ask that the Deputy Leader consider reconvening the Seanad Special Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union to bring back immediate reports as to how the country will be affected. The reports we have had previously were very sound but they were done in the absence of this pandemic. I ask that we give immediate consideration to what is going on in an all-Ireland context with a specific focus on Border constituencies.