Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This committee will feed its contributions and its findings to the Government. Jurisdictional issues pertain to citizens in the North, which we have seen in Ms De Souza's case in terms of the legislative requirements and obligations that must be fulfilled. Have today's contributors reached a view as to what the Irish Government should ask for? We understand the jurisdictional contexts that exist on the island. My latest engagement with the Government on this, through a Seanad Commencement matter, was that it was awaiting the result of the review announced by Theresa May in Belfast in February. Through parliamentary questions and documents released to the media under freedom of information, it has subsequently transpired that to all intents there is no review. It has no timeline or terms of reference, there is no indication as to who will carry out the review or what their remit is. If we park the jurisdictional issue and focus on the Good Friday Agreement and on the root of all of this, namely that of our being Irish citizens, there is a political context which compels the Irish Government to do something. I do not know if there is scope for the Government to act unilaterally on behalf of the State or as a member of the EU to further enable rights and entitlements to Irish citizens who happen to be resident just up the road.