Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach has just referred to principles in relation to Brexit. It would be very helpful to everybody in the House if he were to set out these principles. How many principles are there and has the Taoiseach or the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade identified them, working with officials? It is urgent that they be set out. Are the principles about procedures or do they relate to the strategic issues in play in relation to the Republic, Northern Ireland and the whole of the island, respectively? While there are issues, strategies and, perhaps, principles we share in common, there are also areas in which there are strategic differences and in which we come from different spaces. Following from what Deputy Howlin has suggested, could the Taoiseach afford the House the courtesy of publishing the principles and setting them out as he sees them?

From looking at UK newspapers, it appears that a lot of the issues and, perhaps, principles will be dealt with at various legal levels. I would like to know if the Taoiseach has gathered together various constitutional legal experts with a view to advising on different potential scenarios and outcomes. A lot of people and, particularly, businesses, are very worried that we are in a kind of truce situation in which we are dancing around issues rather than really dealing with them. Not all of that is under our own control. In one particular area, however, the Taoiseach has a very important role. As leader of the Government, he is a member of the EU's innermost Councils at which the policy the rest of the EU will take towards the UK Brexit will be determined. In that regard, I ask the Taoiseach if he can share that with people in Ireland.

We see a hard Brexit coming from some, a soft Brexit coming from other EU Heads of State and Presidents and now references to a normal Brexit are appearing. As the exit of a country has never happened before, I am not so sure what "normal Brexit" means. We have all these phrases being tossed around and I am sure lots of diplomats are working out what they mean. We are hearing different messages from the EU and the Taoiseach is our representative on some of the topmost Councils. We hear, for instance, that the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Schultz, may be resigning or retiring. We hear that if he goes, Mr. Juncker will go. I would not shed any tears if Mr. Juncker were to decide to up sticks and leave, but clearly as he is part of the inner circle of the EPP, as is the Taoiseach, the Taoiseach might share his thoughts on who he thinks will be negotiating for the EU and be the key strategy makers and leaders.

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