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

I thank the Taoiseach for his very comprehensive and precise reply. The Taoiseach will agree that the economy faces direct and long-lasting challenges, particularly due to Brexit. The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, has forecast that a hard Brexit will cost us tens of thousands of jobs, especially in the regions, which we discussed earlier, and that it will undermine certain sectors of our economy and hit the public finances.

It is clear we face a hard Brexit. The Taoiseach and the Prime Minister spoke of a seamless and frictionless Border. They are meaningless terms. The emerging model of Brexit, as articulated by the Prime Minister, is one that includes a hard Border. This is as bad as it gets for Ireland. While the Taoiseach has spoken about a common travel area, the issue is how we mitigate the economic damage which will be caused by the UK's exit from the Single Market and customs union. This is the central question that faces Ireland. There has been a pat answer focusing on the common travel. The core issue is trade and how we will limit the damage which Brexit will cause.

Will the Taoiseach tell us when he intends to outline proposals on how we will help businesses and communities that will be hit by Brexit? I accept that the Taoiseach wants to limit the impact. Would he agree that no neutral outcome is possible and that we must prepare for a hard Brexit, and not try to wish it away with phraseology, language, goodwill and the bonhomiethat exists when meetings are held? There is a need to convey to people the gravity of what is involved over the next decade as a result of the UK's leaving the EU. Our economic model as we have known it for nearly 50 years will have fundamentally changed as a result of Brexit. Will the Taoiseach outline the Government's proposals to limit it?

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