Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend the Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Government for holding last week's civic dialogue. I also thank all those who organised the event which ran very smoothly. It was informative, wide ranging and many voices expressed their opinion on Brexit. While the Unionist parties did not participate, I am certain they were listening to what was discussed at the forum. I am sure they are still listening to what is going on.

What is going on is not very good, as we all appreciate, for the people of this island, whatever our position may be on the constitutional issue. Monday's report by the Department of Finance and the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, reveals some of the very real dangers. The report finds that a so-called hard Brexit would permanently damage the economy, reducing its size by almost 4% and increasing unemployment by as much as 2%. It goes on to give some detail around all this. I know that there is currently a short-term gain for retailers in the North, which I am sure is welcome in places like Enniskillen, Derry and Newry but that will be short-lived and will ultimately lead to inflation and an increase in the cost of living for citizens in the North.

How do we combat all this? The Taoiseach should give us more meat in terms of the plans and the next steps in the programme for the civic dialogue. He has not gone any further today but has simply told us that it will meet again next year. We need to have more detail, particularly about the notion of moving the conference throughout the island.

I was at a disability rights conference in north Louth recently, organised by Ms Martina Anderson, MEP. An issue was raised there which I had not thought about previously. It was very clear that the rights of people with disabilities, which are now legislatively based, will be done away with if the British, or rather the English, Government leaves the European Union and drags the North with it. This is another issue of grave concern.

The last time we discussed this matter I asked the Taoiseach whether he had asked Prime Minister May about the implications for the Good Friday Agreement post-Brexit. I particularly asked if the Taoiseach had asked her about the Human Rights Act but he did not answer me. He just ignored the question entirely. Later the journalist Justine McCarthy asked the same question and the Taoiseach on that occasion told her that he had not raised the issue with Prime Minister May. I congratulate Justine McCarthy for being able to get the answer that I was not able to get. The Taoiseach also said that he did not have enough time but I would suggest that he did not make it a priority. That is part of the problem. This Government does not have the imagination, vision or investment in the process of political change on the island, particularly arising from the Good Friday Agreement. We must raise these issues and we look to the Taoiseach to do so. He must stand up for people in the Six Counties who expressed their vote. They have not given their consent to being dragged out of the European Union at the whim of a right-wing government in London. I ask the Taoiseach if he has had the opportunity to raise any of these matters relating to the Good Friday Agreement with the British.

Has the Taoiseach been briefed on the recent High Court decision in London and its implications? That decision came the day after the Taoiseach's comment to the effect that he thought that the British Prime Minister might trigger Brexit before March. Has the Government been briefed on this issue? Has the Taoiseach raised any of these crucially important issues, which as equal co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, he is obliged to protect?

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