Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The events of the past few days have been deeply disappointing and, on a personal level as someone who has lived my whole life with Ireland as a member of the Europe Union, I feel particularly disappointed for the young people in Britain whose future is now shrouded in such uncertainty. It is truly saddening to see a vote driven in so many ways by a campaign based on fear, hatred, misconceptions and, ultimately, the projection of blame on some of the most vulnerable in society. These are the very people the EU was set up to help and protect and for whom it was to provide opportunities.

It is imperative we now use this time to undergo serious introspection and examine what we need to do here to ensure we are not the ones who pay the price for Britain's decision to exit the EU. Brexit has the potential, if we do not act properly and decisively, to destabilise our economy. The ESRI has calculated that our bilateral trade with Britain could fall by up to 20% and there could be a possible fall in our GDP by 0.5% to 1.2%, based on our treasury estimates. Such a change would greatly affect our fiscal space for the years ahead. As with so much of this, a lot of it is speculation and guesswork.

We just do not know what is coming around the corner but we need to be prepared. This is why we need to examine every facet of our industrial, economic and agricultural policies among other areas. We have to ask ourselves whether we need to rejig things to respond most effectively to these seismic events. I am not calling for knee-jerk reaction; I am saying we need to take a considered and careful look at everything we do. This approach must be led from the top, from the Taoiseach, the Government and the Parliament. We must all be united and constructive in our approach to this. The consequences of us not responding properly are too severe, particularly as the economy continues to recover and gather pace.

On this island, we are in a unique position. I have been deeply disappointed, but not surprised, by the response from Sinn Féin. Now is a time for careful and considered debate, not rash knee-jerk reactions, but Sinn Féin simply could not resist and could not help itself in its snap calls for a Border poll. Part of me thinks that Deputy Gerry Adams, based on his statement, and Jeremy Corbyn, based on what he said before the referendum, are very similar and maybe deep down they both secretly wanted a Brexit. The calls for a Border poll were opportunistic and cynical. It is no surprise Sinn Féin is using this occasion to batter the EU, as is its wont, with classic negative commentary. I appeal to it and to all Deputies to focus on the values and ideals of what the European Community stands for, what it can offer and what people want it to deliver.

We need to accept that for whatever reasons, 17 million people in Britain voted to leave the EU. In this current crisis, and taking into account the British result, there is a need for reflection by all European countries and people regarding the disenfranchisement that exists and the disillusionment that many citizens feel with the EU. I fully and truly believe in the European project as a process of peace and co-operation, and I know it can deliver economic and social opportunities for all citizens. However, we must recognise there is a democratic deficit that requires reform. There are decision-making powers which are excessively concentrated in a European elite. Eurocrats need to be levelled with democracy.

Let us take the European Parliament. It is the only true and direct democratic Chamber of the collective European people. With treaty changes it has been granted more decision-making powers but in some cases it merely provides a democratic slant to an undemocratic system. Now is a time for Ireland to lead a process of reform within Europe to deliver greater outcomes for all citizens. It is worrying to see a number of foreign Ministers from the central European economies meeting together in advance of the European Council meeting with no consultation or engagement from peripheral countries such as Ireland.

I fear there will be excessive input from these countries which have different interests to Ireland regarding Brexit. From their perspective, the incentive is to force other countries to shy away from exiting the European project. This might result in a negotiated exit that is contrary to Ireland's interests. We must ensure we are central to these negotiations and utilise all diplomatic potential. The consequences for Ireland in terms of trade, travel, peace and future prosperity make this negotiation period crucial in our national interest. We must also advocate for reform in Europe to empower the democratic institution that is the European Parliament to make citizens more involved and to give greater democratic ownership of decision-making competencies.

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