Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Good Friday Agreement is the institutional, constitutional and legal framework which defines the relationship within the island of Ireland and between Ireland and Britain. I do not believe for one moment that the Government has truly absorbed this new reality. The Good Friday Agreement is an international treaty. The Taoiseach has co-equal status with the British Prime Minister and a co-equal responsibility to uphold, implement and promote all aspects of this new relationship. The biggest threat to the Agreement, the new relationship and the social and economic future of the people of this island is presented by Brexit. I am sure the Taoiseach and I agree on that at least. The British Government has ignored the vote of people in the North and London is intent on pulling that part of our island out of the European Union despite the dire consequences this will have for everyone across Ireland.

Sinn Féin has been critical of the Government's failure to hold the British Government to account for its polices in Ireland. Its approach to Brexit, the vote in the North and the Border is a monumental example of this failure. There is a crying need for a special designated status for the North within the European Union, but the Taoiseach has refused to accept or promote this position despite the vote of the people of the North and the majority support for this position in the Oireachtas and Assembly. He has also refused to advocate this position despite the fact that every citizen of the North has a right to Irish citizenship and a legal expectation that the Government will uphold his or her rights, which include the right to European citizenship after Brexit.

Let us contrast the Government's position, which is contained in Article 11 of the draft European Council negotiating guidelines, with Article 22, which contains the Spanish Government's position. Article 11 is ambiguous, opaque, conditional and qualified, whereas Article 22 is extremely clear, stating that after Brexit, no agreement between the European Union and British Government may apply to Gibraltar without the agreement of the Spanish and British Governments. This is exactly the type of veto the Government should have sought in keeping with its responsibilities for the North under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. It is also the best negotiating position to minimise the dire consequences of Brexit for all the people of this island.

Has the Taoiseach ever said to the British Government that is should accept the vote of the people of the North? He can tell me; nobody else is listening.

Has the Taoiseach ever put that point to the British Government?

These are draft EU Council guidelines and, therefore, they can be amended. The Taoiseach has the time to amend them. Will he commit to looking for an amendment as I have set out?

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