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

It is clear that Spain has a problem with the issue of special status post-Brexit. It was said in the House of Commons yesterday that Spain would block Scotland from getting a different deal. Is that the Taoiseach’s understanding from his meetings with the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr. Rajoy? Did the Spanish Prime Minister tell the Taoiseach that Spain will oppose special status for Northern Ireland? Did the Taoiseach raise the matter with him and what was his response? It is worth pointing out that there is an enormous difference between the situation in Northern Ireland and the situation with potential breakaway states in Spain. We have an agreed architecture for deciding these issues. The idea of Northern Ireland being different from other parts of the United Kingdom has been accepted. In contrast in Spain, not only is there no agreed way of handling potential change, it is actually illegal to hold a referendum on separation.

I remind the Taoiseach that the Spanish Administration is also a minority Government that requires co-operation from the Opposition. If the Taoiseach wants to influence Spanish policy, he may have to go beyond his European People's Party, EPP, colleague. Has he done this or made arrangements to follow up? Are there any other arrangements for follow-up visits? Will the Taoiseach be engaging with the smaller parties in the Spanish Government or the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, which is a non-populist, Euro-constructive party?

I brought Spanish on to the primary school curriculum in the late 1990s in the modern languages in the primary school initiative, which, unfortunately, the former Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, abolished two years ago. Up to 550 primary schools took up Spanish, Italian, French and German. It cost €2.5 million but, for some unknown reason, it was got rid of. Is it possible to restore the programme?

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