Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate being able to speak on this matter. We have known for long enough that there will be a Brexit, but not enough is being done about it. With so many distractions, sideshows and so on, less and less is being done about it. While I appreciate Deputy Michael Healy-Rae's comments about visiting Europe - I am also on the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs - the majority of the people of Northern Ireland voted to remain. However, they are unfortunately not a part of Ireland at the moment. I wish that they were and we all aspire to a Thirty-two County Republic, but we are where we are and the situation is grim.

We cannot have a hard border. In early September, I travelled from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Croatia via a motorway that had only recently been built. I saw tailbacks and the 52 people on the bus had to give over their passports for checking. Unfortunately, little sweeteners had to be given to the officials on the road to avoid everyone having to be taken off the bus and checked. We did not give them, but that is the system over there. We cannot have that.

I was young enough when I went to Northern Ireland ag lorg mná. Fuair mé bean go hálainn anseo freisin. She is still with me, thanks be to God, 34 or 35 years later. I remember how the Border was. The Acting Chairman knew it well. It was an appalling vista, with tailbacks and people being taken out of their cars and searched by the UDR, customs and God knows what on both sides of the Border. We cannot go back to that. It would set us back 30 years.

I compliment everyone involved in the peace process, including my former colleague and former Senator, Deputy and Minster of State, Dr. Martin Mansergh, who played a major role, Fr. Alec Reid and many other people. We need those kinds of people again and massive engagement. We need envoys. It is not business as usual in Europe because the people in Europe have not been good to us. We have had many experiences of that, for example, the banking crisis and our fisheries. The big powers in Europe have not wanted to engage or have not given a damn about us. We saw how hard-nosed they were when Brexit happened. They just wanted to annihilate everybody else.

We have to fight our own corner. We have to ensure that this island and our exports are protected. We have to ensure that our farming industry and jobs are protected. Above all, we must ensure a sense of justice and respect for the people of Northern Ireland. I compliment the Deputies who moved this motion and the Fianna Fáil amendment, which I believe is being accepted, but we need action, not words. We need to talk strongly. It is time to call on our European colleagues to stand up and look after us in Ireland, North and South. We have been good Europeans.

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