Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome the initiative to establish the summit and to look at the trade issue first. Will the Taoiseach consider using that sectoral approach and having one on the free movement of people, one on security issues and one on the environment? It is a potential way that could evolve given it is so difficult because there are so many issues at play here.

What we are facing is probably the most protracted and difficult negotiations with the British Government. The only example I can think of is the Home Rule negotiations at the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century. It is at that level of complexity. Added to that is the fact that, like them, we have deep divisions in Northern Ireland where it looks like it will be very difficult to get political agreement on whatever approach we want to take as an island.

In those circumstances and given that the British Government has been following a deluded and deeply flawed path to try to become an unregulated state, a pirate state that will try to get the best of both worlds, is it not time for us as a friend, because one can only say this as a friend, to tell it the approach it is taking will be deeply damaging to all sides? Is it not time for us to say to the British Prime Minister that the British Government's disregard for the island of Ireland question in the way she presented her intention to trigger Article 50 is a very bad sign and that she must stop and take a different approach if we are going to get some sort of outcome out of this process that will not be deeply damaging to the people of Great Britain and Ireland, North and South?

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