Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will take ten minutes and Deputy McGrath will take five, if that is agreeable to the House.

I thank the Minister for outlining the position and I thank the Government for recalling the Dáil today to discuss this urgent and important matter. I put it to the Minister that the British exit from the EU and the referendum will dominate the European agenda as well as the agenda in Ireland and Britain over the coming months. As Fianna Fáil's spokesperson for foreign affairs and trade, although fully respecting the decision of the British people in the referendum, I am deeply disappointed with it. Its implications are not yet known and we, as a State, as well as the European Union are only now grappling with the serious implications of the decision of the British people. We must remember that, in the main, the decision was made by those in England and that the people in Scotland as well as hundreds of thousands of our citizens north of the Border voted to remain.

From listening to reports within Britain over the few short days since this happened, there are many in Britain who now feel like outsiders in their country. We must do our best, in a calm, measured and considered way with our European partners and through the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, to ensure the approach Ireland takes with the other leaders in Europe through the European Council meeting is level-headed and calm and that we do not make the situation worse. We do not want Europe to be seen as coming down heavy on Britain. Although we do not like the result of the referendum, we have to respect it and how people voted.

Ireland's role in future negotiations must be central. Both the Minister and my party leader, Deputy Michael Martin, have already outlined that we have a distinct and unique relationship with Britain. This is not just a product of the recent peace process, the Good Friday Agreement and the treaties that emanated from it; we also share a land Border. Thankfully, over the past 20 years, this Border has become effectively irrelevant. None of us wishes to see a hardening of the Border given our trade with Britain and, more important, our people who are in the United Kingdom, including those in mainland Britain as well as those in the North. We must insist that Ireland's unique and distinct position is recognised by our partners in Europe. Indeed, we joined the European Economic Community together in 1973.

There are those who decry the European Union, which is not without fault. We all know there are democratic deficits. However, in the main, if one looks at the advances this country has made both economically and socially, they are a result of European Union. We have greater diversity and tolerance in our communities and Ireland is no longer a homogenous State. People from across Europe are living, working, raising their families and setting down roots here. My party and I have never made any excuse for the fact that we are pro-European. I consider myself a European citizen as well as an Irish citizen and it worries me greatly that there are many in Britain who already feel they are not part of that society.

I wish to address a matter raised by Deputies Boyd Barrett and Coppinger, which is the idea that this was a workers' revolution within Europe. That is absolute total and utter nonsense. Those Deputies align themselves, whether they like it or not, to a bunch of racist, xenophobic and anti-immigration parties. One does not have to scratch the surface too much - I said it a number of weeks ago - to discover that one of the main reasons for and thrusts to the Leave campaign was an anti-immigration, one-nation, Tory attitude. Although it was led by Boris Johnson, one wonders if he would have campaigned for the Leave side if he was still mayor of London. I doubt he would have. Those in the Anti-Austerity Alliance and People Before Profit align themselves with Nigel Farage, the British National Party, the English Defence League and others and they cannot move away from that in any way, shape or form, but we must look to the future to see how we will address it.

I mentioned at the foreign affairs committee, when we had a chance to meet last week prior to the referendum, and put it to the Minister now, that we have not used the North-South bodies to their full potential over the past number of years. I know there was a reason in the past year, in particular, because of elections here and the electoral cycle in Ireland and Britain. However, we have not used the North-South Ministerial Council to its full potential and it is incumbent on us to do so. I am glad that the meeting is being held and hope the scheduling of future meetings is made available. It is an important vehicle to address the issue of how Ireland, North and South, interacts with itself and how east-west relations between Ireland and Britain work in the future. This vehicle is provided for in a treaty between our states, although it is one which is underpinned by the European Union. In the past number of years, there has been quite a laissez-faire attitude towards the all-Ireland bodies and the North-South Ministerial Council, in particular, but now is the time to look forward and to use them to their maximum potential.

As far as the negotiations themselves go, we need to allow a bit of space. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has decided to resign. Having said that, Europe cannot just be left in abeyance for a five, six or seven year period. There is also the likelihood of a British general election. Some are saying it could happen as early as October or November. We need clear heads and we need to ensure the specific interests of Ireland, North and South, are defended by the Government and that we are not overtaken by the larger member states in the European Union negotiations with Britain on its exit.

I hope and pray that there is a way out of this and that Britain may decide another course. The referendum in Britain is not legally binding. The holding of a new general election is a matter for the Westminster Parliament but things may change over the course of the next couple of months. We have to be ready for those eventualities. I am glad the Minister outlined in his speech the contingency plans he has in place. I understand why none of them could be published or debated in recent weeks in advance of the referendum itself.

I had put those questions to the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, four or five weeks ago.

We need a cohesive approach in the Chamber from the elected members who see the benefit of the European Union and Ireland's membership of it for our national interests and for the betterment of the citizens of Europe. As I stated, it is not without its flaws but we must work together. I ask the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, and the Chief Whip that regular updates from the negotiations be discussed in plenary session in the Dáil. Some very good contributions have been made today and people are concerned. Other contributions were made with which I completely and utterly disagree, but this is the Chamber for this to be done. It would be useful to have these debates and updates here and not just at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence.

This is probably the most seismic political event that has happened in Europe since the end of the Second World War. This is not putting a tooth in it because this is how serious the situation is. The future of Scotland is within its own gift. My party leader has outlined our view on the Border poll. I know Sinn Féin's position is long held so I do not take it as opportunist. It would be divisive at this stage to have a Border poll. It would be better to work through our all-island bodies, including the North-South Ministerial Council and the British-Irish parliamentary bodies. I wish the Minister well in the negotiations in the coming weeks. This will dominate the agenda, and rightly so. The risks to our citizens and their economic and social well-being are too great for us not to focus on this in particular.

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