Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 6 October 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs

Northern Ireland Protocol: Discussion

Photo of Marian HarkinMarian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As I was in my office for 45 minutes trying to connect, I missed all of the presentations and I apologise for that. If I ask a question that has previously been asked, please forgive me. I will plough on nonetheless.

I am very strongly supportive of the witnesses' work in principle and in practice. As somebody from a Border county who has represented that county here in Dáil Éireann and at European Parliament level, I am aware of some of the very important work the witnesses' organisations do. Sometimes, a lot of it is invisible work but this is the work that helps to build foundations and brings people together. It is hugely important.

I have one or two questions for the witnesses and I apologise again that I was not part of the discussions for the first 45 minutes. In the context of Brexit and the protocol, I was reading through the conclusions for the witnesses' document where it says that a wider process of engagement is needed beyond the business community. I would have thought that there was a very significant process of engagement along the Border areas, for example, in the health area with the Co-operation and Working Together, CAWT, programme, and others. What is happening with those? I have not followed up for perhaps 12 or 18 months. I wonder where they are. To me that was a very strong and powerful programme that worked well. There are also all of the various programmes supported by the special EU programmes body, SEUPB, whether it is environmental or cultural etc. Have those programmes been sidelined to some extent in the context of Brexit? I am thinking specifically in terms of European Union funds. If those funds are flowing, what are the positive outcomes from those? I am not blaming civil society but I am asking whether the positive outcomes from those and the avenues into which they feed have been shut off or whether significant diversions simply have been put in the way.

My second question also refers to the conclusions where it says that it is imperative that civic society organisations involved in North-South co-operation are represented in any process for engagement between civic society and those responsible for the implementation of the withdrawal agreement and its protocol, and only by ensuring these steps are taken. Have we taken those steps? What are the steps we need to take to ensure that? What are the blockages? What can a committee like this do to try to get rid of some of the blockages?

Adding on to Deputy Haughey's question about the agricultural sector, consider the dairy industry, for example. Both sides of the Border literally rely on one another in the processing plants and the different timetables they have for production and they fit perfectly together to maximise output. One of the things I know about farmers is that they look to the bottom line. In that context, has any progress been made there? We know that our global markets in the dairy industry and especially around baby milk formula and so on, rely very heavily on the co-operation in the Border area. What impact is that having?

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