Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is the second time I have spoken about Brexit in the House. In my maiden speech I spoke on the concerns and fears I had, how Brexit would affect our country and, critically, how Brexit would affect the United Kingdom. Some of the things I alluded to in that speech are the things we have been listening to in recent days, including the potential for untold damage to the United Kingdom as a country and the possible eventual destruction of it as a single country.

I wish to concentrate on the impact of Brexit on our country. The Government will undertake the lead task of negotiating, along with our fellow EU 27 member states, with the United Kingdom. It is vital that we come with the best possible plan to ensure the UK remains with as much access and involvement in Europe as possible in future. It is to the benefit of our country to have such an arrangement and we need to ensure it is realised. The onus is on every political party and every politician, regardless of party, to work together on behalf of our country. We need to support our Government to ensure the UK's onward involvement is as total and immersed in Europe as it can be, even if it chooses not to remain a member of the EU.

I wish to caution one point in that regard. If we, as the European Union, undertake a deal with the United Kingdom, it is vital that we ensure we stitch in to any arrangement certain precautions and provisos. For example, if the UK has free access and free trade, all of which would be to our benefit, we must not allow the UK to engage in practices such as not observing minimum wage or environmental regulations, etc.

If the UK does not have the restrictions placed on it that we should insist on, then an unequal playing field could develop where the UK becomes a base for business and enterprise selling into the European Union while not observing any of the laws we and our fellow members of the European Union would like to see.

However, while observing that potential risk, it is key that we work together to ensure the European Union has a stance that is not vindictive and does not bear any animosity towards the UK for how it voted. That stance needs to recognise that we will be better off together regardless of whether the UK is a member. We need to develop a proper free trade understanding with the UK while also insisting that it observes things like free movement as well, which, if it wants access to the benefits of the market, is an inherent part of it.

This is probably the worst thing that could have happened to our country. It is one of the worst things that could have happened to the United Kingdom. I believe there is some mechanism within the Article 50 process for a country not to complete it, but to withdraw from the process even after it has started it. I still believe the UK would have a better future as part of the EU and that is where I would like to see it. However, if that is not to be, then the onus is on all EU states, but particularly Ireland, to ensure Britain plays as full a part as possible and that we have as full a relationship with the UK, particularly in trade, as is possible in the current situation.

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