Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 6 October 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs

Northern Ireland Protocol: Discussion

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair and the witnesses for their most interesting input. Ms Farrell answered some of my questions already, but I will pose a query for her and for Dr. Ní Lochlainn. Is the row about the protocol, and the political machinations in that regard, obstructing their work and obstructing the need for us to co-operate on that work and on so much other cross-community work? For example, the agenda of Dr. Ní Lochlainn's organisation does not stop at the Border. Equally, the agenda of Ms Farrell's group also does not stop at the Border. Women on this island face serious challenges in respect of opportunities in the areas of healthcare, education and equality, regardless of whether they are in Belfast or Tralee.

Is it not possible to build greater co-operation that unites us in addressing such common issues? I refer to those issues that do not respect our Border. We were getting there before Brexit. It struck me that as an island we could have done so much better in dealing with the impact of Covid-19 had we worked on an all-island basis. Are there issues, therefore, within the witnesses' network and within the constituent groups, where it would it be possible to get around and negate the ongoing political machinations? The reality is that people facing challenges in their daily lives look to Ms Farrell and Dr. Ní Lochlainn's organisations and those other groups that make up this network. How do we get that message out?

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