Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is very important that I clarify something. I am speaking in my own capacity as a Member of the Oireachtas and one of its longest serving Members. I am floating these ideas at this stage to at least get people to think. I floated them in Sligo at the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and there was a tremendous response from all sides. All who were there felt there was some merit in looking at this. It is like the regulatory arrangement about which the Minister of State is talking. That is a special arrangement. I am not advocating in any way that Ireland be a lesser member of the European Union after Brexit takes place. We must consolidate our position but we must recognise that we make up about 1% of the population of the EU. The effect on us as an island off an island is unique within the European Union. The Good Friday Agreement, as mentioned by my colleague, is unique within the EU and was endorsed by it and the United Nations. There are cross-border operations in place which must continue after Brexit. I am talking about joined tourism, fisheries and all those issues. They are unique and cannot be scrapped after the UK leaves, if it actually leaves. That is not certain yet. Those bodies will still continue and will have to be recognised by the EU and will have to continue in place.

I understand the unionists' point of view that they will not accept a border on the Irish Sea. The border between the United Kingdom and Europe will be across the Channel. I can understand their worries in that regard but other than that, they want to see the continuation of trade between North and South. This is a unique situation. I am saying to the Minister of State's officials here and in Brussels that they should be prepared to think outside the box. From my experience as a Minister of State with responsibility for trade, when we and the UK put forward proposals, they were supported by our colleagues in the European Union. We never had a vote when we negotiated the Single European Act and the representative at that stage was John Redwood, MP, who is now a Brexiteer - but that is another day's work.

I am throwing out this as a point of debate today. I ask the Minister of State to at least consider these issues as a possible last resort solution. The Minister of State must not feel that Monsieur Barnier and the European Union will reject unique situations in the context of Ireland's unique position. We would be in great jeopardy if there was any danger of a hard border or a breakdown in trade between Ireland the UK.