Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 2 December 2020

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union

Engagement on Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union

Photo of Frances BlackFrances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming in. I do not know how he keeps going. He is doing a great job on Brexit, and we really appreciate his taking the time to come before us because we know he is very busy.

I am still a little bit confused about several points and I want to check on them. The measures set out in the omnibus Bill to protect the common travel area and North-South co-operation are very welcome. I know there are measures in the Bill to ensure citizens in both jurisdictions enjoy flexibility and eligibility regarding social protection. This is important given there are 30,000 cross-Border workers at present. It is crucial that we work together to ensure the British Government introduces and implements a worker scheme that offers full protection to those who live and work on both sides of the Border. Are there are contingency plans to do so?

I also want to check on the report published by the Oireachtas committee. I could be behind on all of this stuff and, if so, I apologise. I was a member of the committee on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU in 2019 when Professor Colin Harvey from Queen's University highlighted discrepancies on current implementation gaps in the Good Friday Agreement that would be further increased. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, thousands of citizens who do not live far from this committee room could have far fewer rights than all of us sitting here. That is the concern. How will we reconcile a no-deal Brexit with the inevitable rights-based issues, such as co-operation on health care, the provisions set out in the Social Welfare Act between the North and South and the protection of employees? I want to highlight the rights of citizens in the North and policy developments and make sure these rights-based issues are not an afterthought.

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