Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I warmly welcome Lord Alderdice to the Seanad. We go back a long time and were members of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, ELDR, when I was a member of the Progressive Democrats Party which was affiliated to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. I am also a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and have the opportunity to be in the House of Commons from time to time where I want to acknowledge we are always warmly received.

Lord Alderdice mentioned a number of very interesting issues. He also referred to the north, south, east and west. Any politician from the Republic and, possibly, the island of Ireland would ask about the opportunities to achieve a better deal for the island of Ireland within the European Union. That is an objective for us and it is a reasonable aspiration.

I was in Balmoral recently to attend an agricultural show at which I met someone from the Ulster Farmers Union. He said he had looked at the issue and that although things had moved on, he was loyal to the Crown but perhaps more loyal to the half crown. That touched a nerve because he was talking about economics. Money in people's pockets and for their families, the economy and the great agricultural trade links between the North and the South all unite people.

Agriculture and the food sector generally are key trade areas. Products which originated in the Republic Ireland are processed in the North and then brought back across the Border. Some large co-ops have merged. There are many synergies in the agrifood sector, North and South. As we know, it is a very successful sector in economic terms.

I know about the immense record of Lord Alderdice in the context of the Good Friday Agreement and achieving peace on the island of Ireland. I acknowledge the significant role he played in that regard. He mentioned Sinn Féin, one of the few parties which published a proposal. I am disappointed, therefore, that Sinn Féin Senators are not present. On the two occasions I have attended the committee I have not met a Sinn Féin Member in the Chamber. Sinn Féin drew up a document on seeking special designated status for Northern Ireland within the European Union. It is worth looking at the broader picture. Mrs. Theresa May is involved in ongoing discussions with the DUP which are critical for her very survival.

Unfortunately, we fall in with all of that. Is there now some sort of political will that could see a greater synergy, union or advocacy for the issue of special designated status within the EU for the island of Ireland, not specifically Northern Ireland, although that is the piece we are talking about? Of course, we have concerns about the need to protect the peace process, retain access to the Single Market, remain part of the common travel area, to which Lord Alderdice referred, and maintain EU funding streams. When we get down to the nuts and bolts, it is about money, funding, economics and prosperity, all of which underpin and sustain peace. How do we protect the existing unfettered cross-border and EU-wide access to employment, social welfare, security and health care? There are a lot of things which are of mutual benefit to us. For example, how do we retain, maintain and grow agriculture and trade links, North and South?

I travel to Northern Ireland very often as I have family and connections up there. The one thing that is clear now is that people are facing real choices. Without dwelling too much on agriculture, it is clearly a very successful area and people see the importance of the links and the markets for all of that. I have two questions. First, does Lord Alderdice feel such a special status can be achieved through flexible and pragmatic negotiations? Is there the possibility, be it through a bilateral arrangement or an international arrangement, of a negotiation for this special designated status for Northern Ireland within the EU? Second, what is Lord Alderdice's view of the argument for that special designated status? Can it be done with the DUP, given Sinn Féin has clearly indicated some support for it? I would like some feedback and comments based on Lord Alderdice's experience both as a committed European and as a very successful politician in Northern Ireland. I thank him for his time.