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

The EU Council guidelines published last Friday reveal what I believe to have been a failure by the Government to stand up for Irish interests. Article 11 deals with the island of Ireland, the peace process and the North, and it is vague and conditional. It contracts starkly with Article 22, which deals with Spain and Gibraltar and gives a determining say to Spain on whether any trade deal beyond Brexit will apply to Gibraltar. After Britain leaves the EU, any future trade deal that cannot be agreed until after Brexit will need the agreement of all members states but Spain is positioning itself by suggesting that the trade deal might only apply to Gibraltar in a situation of joint sovereignty between it and the British. This has resulted in an outpouring of English jingoism not witnessed since the Brexit referendum campaign last summer. Last weekend, former Tory leader, Michael Howard, evoked the memory of Mrs. Thatcher and the possibility of war with Spain. The Daily Telegraphwent so far as to rush off to analyse which state had the better navy. It would be almost funny if it were not so serious.

The Government must now act on the Dáil motion passed in February which calls for the North to be afforded special designated status within the EU. When will the Government publish its response to the EU guidelines? The Taoiseach has said that he will publish a White Paper or a consolidated paper outlining the Government's negotiating position before the end of the month. Can he be more definitive on when this paper will be published? Will he ensure that the House has the opportunity to fully debate the Government's position before the EU Council meeting on 29 April?

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