Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I start by offering the sincere sympathies of my party and my leader, Deputy Micheál Martin, on the death of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick of the Irish Coast Guard who was buried at the weekend. We also extend our thoughts and prayers to the families of the missing crewmen of Rescue 116, Captain Mark Duffy, and winch crew Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith, at this incredibly difficult time for their families and friends.

In a moment we will have an opportunity to convey our sympathies on the untimely passing of the late Martin McGuinness, the former deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. I will say a few words on that in due course. I acknowledge also the passing of Maureen Haughey, wife of the late Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, mother of our colleague, Deputy Seán Haughey, and daughter of former Taoiseach, Seán Lemass. We also acknowledge and extend our sympathies on the tragic death of the young Derry City footballer, Ryan McBride, over the weekend.

Given that Prime Minister Theresa May announced that she will formally pull the trigger on Article 50 in eight days' time, 29 March, the realities and challenges that Brexit poses on the island of Ireland are now becoming all too real. This trigger means that Brexit will have to take place by March 2019 unless the UK and the remaining 27 member states of the European Union agree to extend the exit talks. As a country we need to have a number of clear and key priorities in the negotiations, namely, protection of the common travel area between Ireland and the UK; protecting the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement that underpins it and ensuring there is no hard border of any sort on the island of Ireland; and protecting the enormously important trading relationship we have with the UK. The Taoiseach does not need to be reminded of the importance of that trading relationship, with around 14% of all Irish exports going to the UK, but for many indigenous Irish firms, in particular manufacturing firms and those involved in agrifood, for example, the dependence is far greater.

The one thing we must avoid is the cliff effect of the UK falling out of the European Union in two years' time with no interim deal agreed on trade arrangements. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, alluded to that in recent days. Is it the negotiating position of the Government that there would be an interim deal on how trade between Ireland and the UK and with the remainder of the European Union will be conducted post-Brexit and in advance of any long-term deal on the overall trading arrangement between Ireland, the EU and the UK? We now have an overall timeline.

We know Mr. Donald Tusk has confirmed there will be a meeting of the European Council on 29 April. We also know the European Union General Affairs Council will meet some time in mid-May to adopt formal negotiating directives, with talks now finally getting under way perhaps in late May or early June. The country now deserves to know if Deputy Enda Kenny will be the Taoiseach attending the European Council summit on 29 April. Will he be the Taoiseach in office when the General Affairs Council holds its meeting in mid-May? Will he be the captain of the ship, as such, when these critical negotiations for the future of our country get under way in late May or early June? We deserve clarity on that aspect.

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