Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not accept the assertions made by Deputy McDonald at all. She does not seem to have been speaking to her leader. I made a point of briefing the leaders of the Opposition parties, including the leader of the Deputy's party, who complimented the suggestion that there is a need to have a broader conversation rather than confining the conversation to the political parties. For that reason, the first all-island conversation on this matter will be held in Dublin on 2 November next. That will be the first of a number of meetings. All political parties that wish to attend will be invited. We need to deal with representatives of sectoral areas, such as business groups, employers, trade unions, voluntary non-governmental organisations North and South, organisations like the British Irish Chamber of Commerce that participate in the current EU-UK stakeholder group, the Institute of International and European Affairs, European Movement Ireland, local authorities in Border regions, key Government agencies with a North-South dimension to their work, academic institutions North and South like the Centre for Cross-Border Studies, the Royal Irish Academy and the universities and higher education institutions.

I do not accept Deputy McDonald's suggestion that the Government has been flat-footed, as she called it, in this regard. It was the one institution that actually had a contingency plan in place before 23 June, when the British people made their decision. It is appropriate and important for Deputy McDonald to know that I happened to be in a position to visit the newly appointed Prime Minister very shortly after her accession to that office. I congratulated her on her election. Prime Minister May made it perfectly and publicly clear that she did not want to see and did not envisage a return to a hard Border. Like us, the British Government intends to retain the common travel area, which is so important for us. Like us, the British Government will take clear account of the general trade links between our two countries. These are issues of great importance to us, including in the context of our membership of the EU.

Deputy McDonald was wrong when she referred to this as a one-day conference. It will be the first in a series of meetings that will deal with all these issues and all the areas I have read out. The Deputy was also wrong when she suggested there was no plan here. There was and is a plan. It is very well advanced. I intend to meet the leaders of the Opposition parties again this evening to give them details of the chronology of everything we did in preparation for the vote on 23 June last and everything we have done since then. I ask Deputy McDonald to believe me when I say that much more work is going on in this regard than she realises. Her views will be taken into account as part of the discussions we will have in the time ahead.

I hope Deputy McDonald will speak to her party leader in order that she will know what he is being informed of by Government before she comes into the House and makes allegations such as those she has made today.

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