Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was conscious when Mr. McGrath spoke about potatoes and pencils and not knowing the identity of the person buying them, although Jacob Rees-Mogg seems to know the identity of fish at this stage.

In response to Ms Anderson's question about ports, I come from Wexford, and Rosslare port is booming. Year on year, trade with continental Europe is now up by 446% even though trade with Britain has halved. There are now 16 direct sailings to mainland Europe, and increasing numbers of hauliers are coming from the North, straight down the M1, which is motorway nearly the entire way down if one is coming from Belfast. In Gorey, where I live, we now have a Covid testing centre for all the hauliers just outside the town, so the possibility of using Rosslare as well as Dublin needs to be considered.

Regarding identity, the point has been made that there is no one on this call from a unionist tradition or who would subscribe to neither the unionist or nationalist tradition. It may be useful that on a future call, and talking about the constitutional relationships on this island, we look at engaging with some of our colleagues who are looking at this issue, for instance, in the Scottish Parliament - obviously, fish is an issue and it is a big issue in Scotland - but also in Westminster and the Welsh Senedd. Setting this discussion in that broader context may be useful.

Finally, I will take issue with a little of what Ms Anderson said because it is important that issues surrounding identity and culture and trade are kept separate. I would say I am Irish. I aspire towards a united Ireland but I am also a committed European and have consistently been so.

I do not want an argument on European identity and membership of the EU being divided into green and orange and the notion that if people are green, they therefore support the EU and if they are orange, they are pro Brexit. I do not want the European project to be dragged into that sense of tribalism. There has not been enough recognition of the importance of the EU in underpinning the Good Friday Agreement and co-operation on these islands. That has to be recognised. It is important in any of the language we use that it be inclusive and we are not seen as dragging the question of a European identity into arguments around green and orange.