Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Usually the point of a veto is not to exercise it. The point of a veto is that it gives one leverage. What concerns me is that the British have very little leverage in these negotiations and the Irish have even less. By far the most important economic, political and cultural relationship Ireland has ever had, or is ever likely to have, is with the UK. That, however, is now being largely negotiated beyond our control. Any leverage such as a veto would have been useful.