Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, and her staff, as well as the ambassador and the embassy staff. I commend the embassies on always having members here to listen to contributions.

I disagree with Deputy Durkan on the Good Friday Agreement. From our discussions, it stands, irrespective of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union. All of the institutions under it - the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly - will continue post-Brexit. That is a fact. It is an international agreement which was signed and registered with the United Nations. Under it, we will and must continue to develop and expand our relationship with our nearest neighbour, the United Kingdom. As the Minister of State mentioned, we can do this through our contributions at committee meetings of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs which is willing and able to continue bilateral discussions at the highest level with Members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. I certainly aspire to this work being done by the committee in the future. We have such a relationship that elements such as free movement for Irish people in the United Kingdom and a lot of other things will continue. Let us sound a positive note in that regard. The influence of the Irish in Britain is enormous and will be vital after Brexit.

I see no appetite for the holding of another referendum. It is aspirational and pie in the sky. Having met and discussed the matter with British people, they are war weary about Brexit, the House of Commons, the ongoing debate, the political defections and the new groups being formed. They just want finality as quickly as possible. The deadline of 29 March stands.

I compliment the Minister of State, her officials and the Tánaiste and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, who briefed the committee last week on the 92 pages of a composite Bill which covers all Departments. He made it quite clear that it would be an all-party Bill and that he wanted an input from all parties and Independents in order that when the comprehensive Bill passed through the Dáil and the Seanad, there would be unity of purpose among Members to ensure it would cover all areas, including ones that may not have been considered at this point. From the perspective of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party and the Seanad, I can assure him that we are very anxious to ensure the Bill will be passed on time and in advance of the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. If something happens, the Bill will be put on ice until Britain leaves the European Union. It will be a comprehensive insurance policy based on the United Kingdom leaving the EU on 29 March. Post-Brexit there will be time for discussions and negotiations on what will happen next, but the angles are being covered very well. Deputy Durkan referred to the land bridge. It is protected, provided one sends a product directly from Ireland to elsewhere in the European Union. It will not be inspected under the current international agreement. The important aspect is that goods from Ireland will have a fast track to elsewhere in the European Union. The British Government will co-operate in order that an extra lane on the land bridge will be dedicated to European Union traffic to and from Ireland. It is also in the United Kingdom's interest to ensure we will be able to continue to move our exports through the United Kingdom.

On the issues for travellers and motorists, North and South, the insurance companies have indicated that they will be providing a green card, or pass. It will be very honourable for them to issue it to all drivers, regardless of whether one travels frequently to the North.

It will allow anyone who is travelling to pass through, North and South. It is very easy to do in County Monaghan and elsewhere. One can pass through the North handily. As such, the card should be issued to customers. I call on the insurance company with which I deal, FBD, to show generosity of spirit. I understand there will be no extra charge. The card should be issued after the United Kingdom decides to leave the European Union.

The danger of an extension to Article 50 is that if it moves beyond 29 March, we will be into the European elections campaign. Britain will maintain the right to field candidates in the elections if it moves beyond 24 May and the additional seats for the Republic of Ireland will not be available until a final decision is made. They will remain in abeyance if the United Kingdom decides to contest the European elections, as it will be entitled to do. It is just a proviso.

I note that there is deep concern about the suppression of the opposition in Hungary. The European Union should insist on the new opposition party which is associated with Fianna Fáil's European Parliament group, ALDE, being given access to radio and television services.