Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The outcome of last Thursday's referendum in the UK is as baffling as it was unexpected. It is not at all clear what the political masters of the Brexit campaign wanted to achieve at the end of the exit negotiations. However, Mr. David Cameron's decision to resign and pass the baton on has undoubtedly ensured that the job of recalibrating the UK's relationship with the EU as a stand-alone nation now falls to those who, in the case of some, fought for a result that I believe they did not wish for.

Much of the campaign was fought around the principle that the UK could achieve more on its own than by sharing and pooling its sovereignty with the 27 other members of the union. Much of the campaign was based around slogans such as "Taking back control" and "Making Britain great again". Those of us who have seen the immense benefit that the involvement and membership of the EU has had on our country over the previous decades would have known that an isolated country of such importance as the UK attempting to go it alone, having come so far, is not in anyone's best interests. It is not in the best interests of the people of the UK and it is certainly not in the best interests of the other members of the EU.

The Brexit campaign focused on the burdensome responsibilities attached to membership which in its view would be lifted in the event of a positive result, whilst all the time failing to explain how the UK could expect to retain the rights, privileges and benefits that have come from, and are so much a part of, the membership of the EU.

A complex web defines the relationship between the member states of the EU. While the disentanglement of the UK from this web will not be easy, it should not be beyond the capability of all concerned. It must happen, given that we must recognise the principles of democracy and the fact that the British people have spoken. It is up to all of us, in a period of calm, to try to bring about a mutually beneficial response and a negotiated position. Fundamental to this outcome must be the recognition that if the UK is to benefit from the free movement of goods and capital, which are two fundamental principles of the EU, there must also be free movement of people, which is another key principle on which the EU was founded. There must be respect for human rights and recognition that in any relationship that would exist between the UK and the EU, there must be an acceptance of responsibilities.

During the campaign, the positive relationship that exists between Norway and the EU, and the fact that it does not require a hard border between Norway and Sweden, was touted. This is the case because the relationship under the European Free Trade Association recognises the free movement of goods, capital and people. There must be a realisation quickly, given that some within the Brexit campaign sought to win it on the back of anti-migration and anti-immigration issues. This must be cleared up relatively quickly. During the period of calm, it should be possible for the British people to come to understand the responsibilities that may now be taken from their shoulders and the difficulty in maintaining the rights they had achieved through membership.

As spokesperson on communications, energy and climate change, I am somewhat concerned about certain areas. An all-island electricity market has existed since 2007, and interconnection between Ireland and Northern Ireland is particularly important to Northern Ireland, which relies on electricity imports from Ireland to make up for insufficient local electricity generation capacity. From our perspective, we want to ensure it continues. If the electricity market in Britain remains independent of the rest of the EU, interconnection with Britain only would leave Ireland vulnerable to any problems in the British market. Under these circumstances, enhanced interconnection between Ireland and the rest of the EU could provide a useful, but costly, diversification and reduce the risk for Irish consumers. If the UK leaves the EU, it will no longer be subject to EU rules on climate change policy and renewables, which would reduce the chance that the UK would reopen discussions on trade in renewables.

We must face these issues. I hope the Government will interface quickly and directly with other member states to ensure our interests are protected. We must also try to ensure, in so far as possible, the interests of the people of the UK are also protected. In doing so, there must be a recognition in those negotiations by the British negotiators that there are fundamental principles, set out in the establishment of the EU, which are enforceable to all those in the European Economic Area, and that those principles must be recognised in any new relationship.

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