Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, set out her stall in advance of the opening of Article 50 negotiations in a matter of weeks. Some have described her utterances as a plan. It is not a plan; it is a wish list. It is a wish list that will no doubt please the likes of Nigel Farage and those on the Tory right, but one thing that is clear is that it is bad news for Ireland.

Prime Minister May repeated her intention to bring an end to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. Alongside her vow to end Britain's commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights, this will have profound implications for the Good Friday Agreement because, as the Taoiseach knows, both are fundamental to the human rights provisions contained in the Agreement. The Taoiseach needs to make clear to Prime Minister May that this cannot happen.

The Prime Minister's intention to leave the Single Market and her indecisiveness about the customs union will have a detrimental impact on the economy, both in the North and across Ireland. Exiting either would create a hard Border on the island. That is a fact.

The Prime Minister's remarks on the future of the common travel area contained no new detail other than vague references. From an Irish perspective, we are still left wondering about the following question: Brexit means Brexit means what? The one thing we know is that Prime Minister May's plan shows that she persists in ignoring the views of the people of Ireland. It is worth reminding ourselves that citizens in the North voted to remain in the European Union. That is their democratic wish and that voice needs to be heard. Far from voting with their eyes open to leave the EU, the vote and mandate from citizens in the North was clear. It was "No" to a Tory, little Englander approach and "No" to a hard Border. Any pretence from the British Government about consultation is just that. It has no interest in consulting any of the devolved institutions. The Prime Minister used her speech to announce a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee for Thursday - so much for consultation. She is not interested in listening to the views of the devolved administrations in the North or anywhere else, that much is clear.

The Taoiseach is in a different position, however. He will sit at the negotiating table as one of the remaining 27 member states. He will have a view and a say. He has a key role to play and he must be assertive because the issues and stakes are massive. It will fall to him, as Taoiseach, to uphold the democratic wishes of the people of this island who are being ignored by the British administration. The only workable solution for the North is to be granted special designated status within the European Union and the Taoiseach needs to work to that goal. More than that, we need to hear now from him what is his holistic, considered approach to defending the interests of the island. The Prime Minister, Theresa May, has set out her approach. We now need to hear the Taoiseach's view, vision, plan and strategy. When will we hear those?

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