Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Is the Taoiseach disappointed over the outbreak of verbal hostilities in respect of Gibraltar? Everything he has been saying to us over the past number of months has been sweetly reassuring that he has managed to skate away from the difficulties of the UK leaving the EU after 44 years.

With respect to Mrs. May's letter triggering Article 50, was the Taoiseach disappointed that security issues were specifically tied into it? What implications does that have, in particular in the context of Northern Ireland and the fact that there is a significant British presence there?

The Taoiseach said that the response of the EU in the negotiating document is not a failure as regards Ireland. I can understand that what he has is a lot of soft assurances from different people and I am sure he feels a sense of achievement in gathering them but what will happen now? The Labour Party, Deputy Howlin and I have asked repeatedly whether there will be an all-island dimension to these negotiations because, as the Taoiseach well knows, there has been slippage in tourism, agriculture and agribusiness.

We face one of the most difficult historical challenges the island of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have faced since they came into being.

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