Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also believe the tone at the DUP conference was not constructive. To describe anybody scared of the impact of the Brexit vote as "remoaners" was dismissive. It showed a basic refusal to engage with the realities. If one listened to people at the forum, they were very worried. They were from the third level sector, the academic sector, businesses and the farming community in the context of the the CAP ultimately. Hardly anyone is cheering from the sidelines and even those who voted for Brexit realise deep down that there will be a real impact. It was not the right tone for the First Minister to set. She said her relationship with Dublin was great, but the Taoiseach did not meet her last week. There does not appear to be any urgency to the relationship between the First Minister and the Government in Dublin. It is now four months since the referendum on Brexit and the level of direct contact has been ridiculously small, either for the political optics from the DUP's perspective or from what else I do not know, but something needs to change. The issue is too serious for the people on the island of Ireland to have that low level of contact; it is at the same level it was before the vote. Perhaps the Taoiseach might indicate if it is the DUP's demand that Brexit be discussed at the North-South Ministerial Council? If it is, we have to make sure the Council will meet more often than it does. Does the Taoiseach accept that the twice a year format is clearly not adequate and has he requested a new time table for meetings of the Council? Has he requested specific work plans from the sectoral committees of the Council on Brexit? Such plans would be very important.

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