Ms Martina Anderson:

It is always great to get an opportunity to have these exchanges of views. Members may note that when I was an MEP, I had foreseen that there would be a democratic deficit if we had a situation where part of the island remained in the EU and part of it remained partially in the EU.

Views would be expressed across the political divide, so to speak, in the North about a democratic deficit. The one thing on which all parties have commented is that rules and procedures may be made in Brussels that will have an impact in the North and that will be done without the voice or views of people in the North being represented. That is why we were keen to try to get some kind of observer status as we were being dragged out of the EU. Significant work was done on this issue, particularly by the group of the left of which we were part. It commissioned work on this. Colin Harvey and Mark Bassett demonstrated how it was legally possible and politically feasible and considered other examples. One that may be relevant for the committee is that 18 MEPs were given observer status at the time reunification in Germany as the latter was moving towards full transition to reunification. It is stated that every citizen shall have the right to participate in the democratic life of the European Union and that decisions should be made as close as possible to citizens.

I am conscious that the Seanad recently voted in favour of a citizens' assembly in the context of the constitutional change discussion and debate that is happening across the island. I recommend to all in attendance and further afield to look at the work that has been done by Colin Harvey and Mark Bassett in this field in order that they can see that it is legally possible and politically feasible. The one thing that even those within the unionist tradition who do not like the protocol - we all know the protocol is a consequence of the disaster of Brexit - recognise and complain about, and rightly so, is that there is a democratic deficit. We have a situation in the North where we are in the customs union and the other regulatory alignment we have across this island and there is a difference between what is happening in the North and what is happening in Britain, but all of that is being done without democratic input. I suggest that we work jointly to consider how that could be politically feasible to take forward. The argument and the case has already been made. What is required is for the Irish Government to pursue this issue of observer status in order that we would have representation in the North.