Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Bruton and thank him for his very comprehensive report which clearly demonstrates his vast experience. I would like to tease out a number of issues with him. If he was the plane on Saturday morning, what approach would he be taking on our behalf? We sent Mr. Bruton out to bat for us on many occasions, successfully, I might add. I am seeking his opinion here and do not seek to undermine the negotiating position of those who will be representing us. There is a feeling or a perception out there among the remaining EU member states that our efforts to get the deal we need because of our unique position mean we are looking for a softer Brexit for the UK. They are interpreting our endeavours on our own behalf as working to the advantage of the UK in terms of achieving a softer Brexit than some of them would like to see. When Mrs. May said it would be a hard Brexit, many of our European partners formed the view that if she wanted a hard Brexit, she would get one. Then we came knocking on the door, quite genuinely because of our situation, and some of our EU partners now think that we are working more on the side of the British, albeit for our own benefit.

Mr. Bruton began his contribution by complimenting the Government on the work that has been done to date. Given the importance of this issue, which is possibly the most pressing faced by the State since its foundation, does Mr. Bruton think that we should have a Department and a Minister for Brexit to deal with the negotiations and to prepare for the potential outcomes? While we are all hoping for the best, as Mr. Bruton said, we must prepare for the worst. If Mr. Bruton was Taoiseach when this happened, would he have considered appointing a dedicated Minister for Brexit?