Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak about the result of the British referendum last Friday. After the shock, we are now facing the reality. The referendum campaign was very long and featured only extreme arguments on both sides. I cannot remember the seven concessions on reform issues the British Government negotiated at European Council level being debated in the campaign. As with all referendums, the issues debated were not connected to the question being posed. It was, however, only the third referendum ever held in the United Kingdom.

While they appear to be an exercise in true democracy, referendums can also cause considerable confusion. Notwithstanding this observation, people cast their votes and the result, while narrow and regrettable, must be respected. At the same time, calm heads are needed in response to the this result, the ramifications of which have been vibrating across Europe since Friday. I am sorry the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced his resignation because he was an ally and a friend of Ireland. I agree with his request that Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty should not kick in until his replacement is elected. This will allow all European Union member states to reflect and react in a way that will not make a volatile situation worse.

The British Labour Party has been in disarray since Friday and by 5.30 p.m. today, 32 of its spokespersons had resigned their posts in protest. Time will tell whether the result has ramifications for the Labour Party leader. Three out of four party members claim not to have known their party’s position on the referendum before voted on it.

The European Union needs to carefully manage this process and allow the British political system to respond domestically to a decision that has already hit hard the country's stock exchange and the value of sterling. Already, global banks are threatening to leave London and relocate in other European capitals. This will result in thousands losing their jobs. When the outcome of the referendum was becoming clear early on Friday morning, it was obvious that Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson were shocked. It was as if they had not believed their Leave campaign would win and had been caught by surprise because neither of them could explain what would happen next. Boris Johnson still believed British citizens would have access to free travel across EU member states and the EU would not apply higher tariffs to trade with the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, neither belief is correct.

Leave campaigners did not think through the consequences of leaving the European Union. Once Article 50 has been invoked, a negotiating period of up to two years will commence, after which British citizens will no longer enjoy the rights they have now. For example, they will not have access to E112 cards for free medical care in EU countries. The United Kingdom will no longer be able to avail of the large sums the EU invests in farming and other sectors in the UK and Northern Ireland.

Within 24 hours of the result being announced, more than 2 million people had signed a petition to hold a second referendum. Such was the demand and panic that a British Government website collapsed.

As a Deputy elected for the Sligo-Leitrim constituency, I know only too well how the referendum result will impact on Border counties. In the short term, the decline in the value of sterling will result in a decrease in the number of visitors to counties Sligo and Leitrim during the forthcoming summer season. It also has the potential to seriously impact business across the Border. We do not yet know what type of border controls are envisaged for the 499 km Border between the Republic and the Six Counties. We must, therefore, make every effort directly with the British Government and our EU partners to ensure that any border controls that are re-introduced are not severe.

Since the Good Friday Agreement, people have worked hard to create a seamless approach to business across the two jurisdictions, particularly in farming, agrifood and other trade sectors. We have secured co-operation in the North-South bodies and have tried to amalgamate trade missions. The Fianna Fáil Party has supported lower corporation tax for Northern Ireland in order that the island can be marketed as one for trade purposes. This would benefit people living in the Border counties. We remember all too well the Border controls of the past and how they impacted on our island’s psyche and on those living close to the Border on either side. We must not return to those dark days, nor must we speak opportunistically about a cross-Border poll until the bread and butter issues of the Brexit decision are worked out as painlessly as possible for the people of this island. The turnout last Thursday in the North was 63% and people there voted to remain in the European Union but must abide by the overall result, which is not lost on any of us.

We must also maintain is the common travel area which has been in place since Independence. I have no doubt the Irish and British Governments will continue this mutually beneficial arrangement. Common sense must prevail because the common travel area is an important feature of the close relationship between our two countries, which has had long-established benefits, particularly for tourism. This issue must be a key priority when Ireland is involved in negotiating new terms for the European Union's relationship with the United Kingdom.

It is important that all stakeholders are included in these negotiations. The agriculture sector, industry, manufacturing and politicians on both sides of the Border must work together to try to resolve this very difficult issue.

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