Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to join with my colleagues across the political divide in expressing my deep regret that the United Kingdom has taken the decision to leave the European Union and the Common Market. This decision is a bad outcome for the UK, the EU and the Republic of Ireland. Although I do not agree with the decision we, as a fully sovereign nation, must now accept and respect the will of the British electorate.

The decision to leave the EU, while a major challenge for the UK, will ultimately and unfortunately lead the Republic of Ireland down a similar path of economic uncertainty. It has the real possibility of derailing our strong recovery. It is especially dangerous for my constituency, encompassing parts of Donegal, Cavan, all of Leitrim and Sligo, which will be faced with many economic issues if a border is put in place and sterling continues to fall. This is why I believe the Parliament needs to be ready for the challenges which will most definitely arise.

On this basis, I welcome the Government's swift announcement of Ireland's contingency plan and key actions which will seek to limit the damage Brexit will cause in the intervening period. I hope there will be regular discussions and briefings between all of the leaders of the Opposition and the Taoiseach on this issue. I say this as I believe that any political instability at home will only further aggravate the difficulties which we are now about to face. If we are to be successful at limiting the damage of the exit decision, the Parliament, Government and elected Members of the Seanad, from all parties and none, need to work together to meet it head-on as one strong unified force.

We need to focus our political efforts and negotiation skills on getting the best deal for Ireland in the forthcoming exit negotiations between Britain and the EU. Most important, we need to fight for and secure the best possible deal for our Border with Northern Ireland, the common travel area, our trade and tourism industries and Irish citizens who reside and work in the UK. As the UK is Ireland's largest customer for food and drink, our agriculture and agri-food industry trade with the UK must be protected. We also need to ensure that tourism is not damaged by this decision. As I am sure the Government is aware, over 3 million UK citizens visit the Republic of Ireland every year. They are the lifeblood of many hotels, restaurants and SMEs throughout the country. They are vital to ensuring that the recovery the industry has witnessed is not damaged in the future. I also welcome the swift action taken by Enterprise Ireland, the IDA, Bord Bia and many other agencies and organisations over the past number of days which have sought to limit the damage caused by the decision or begun to seek new trade opportunities.

I firmly believe the Republic of Ireland is better off aligned with Europe and is stronger in the European Union. When we joined in 1973, Ireland was a completely different country. The EU has and continues to revitalise Ireland's rural areas through funding from the European development fund. It has, via the Common Agricultural Policy, strongly supported Irish farmers and allowed Ireland, a small nation on the periphery of Europe, to become a world leader on seven different occasions by holding the Presidency of the European Council. Our small nation is better off with Europe and I hope the European Union can survive this, the most challenging period since its establishment.

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