Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá mé buíoch as ucht an deis chun caint ar an ábhar fíorthábhachtach seo. All Members will agree that Brexit presents the biggest threat to the Good Friday Agreement and to the social and economic future of the people of this island. In the education sector, for instance, we are facing significant issues in respect of funding for research projects under EU programmes, the prospect of students being charged international fees to study in their own country and restricted access for pupils travelling to schools in Border counties. Educational institutions have been plunged into uncertainty and long established traditions and cross-Border co-operation are jeopardised as we are threatened with a hard border running through this small island, yet the Government is asleep at the wheel. The British Government has ignored the democratic wishes of the people of the North. It is quite happy to drag them out of the EU, despite the devastating consequences it will have for all the citizens of this island.

Special designated status for the North within the EU has the majority political support of parties in the Oireachtas, yet the Taoiseach refuses to accept this position or take any action to promote it. This should be contrasted with the veto the Spanish Government has been granted in respect of the future of Gibraltar. It has been afforded a veto in the draft Council guidelines over any future exit agreement concerning Gibraltar. Logically, such an option must also be available to us and the question on everyone's mind is has the Government even sought such a veto. If not, why not? If it has, what are the grounds for us being treated differently from Spain, given we are an EU member state?

I fear, as we have witnessed during countless other episodes, that our Government has failed once again to defend the best interests of the country on the international stage. The Fine Gael Party is more concerned with the petty political squabble over its leadership than with the future of our country. Citizens do not care whether Simon or Leo claims the dubious honour of leading the party; they care about the future of their children on this island. The Government has failed its first big Brexit test. Even the European Parliament has been more successful in fighting for Ireland’s interests than our Government, which says it all. The bitter truth is that previous Governments who sat in this Chamber abandoned the people of the North throughout the decades and allowed the British Government to wreak havoc on part of our island. That is inexcusable and unforgivable. However, now is the time to put an end to the prospect of the British Government wreaking even more havoc on our island. All 32 counties need to move forward and we must uphold the democratic wishes of the people of the Six Counties.

The resolution adopted by the European Parliament acknowledges that a majority of people in the North voted to remain in the EU and that must be respected. It states the position and interests of Ireland need to be represented in negotiations, recognising that Brexit will have significant ramifications for our country. The resolution expresses special concern about the impact of Brexit on the North and demands that the Good Friday Agreement be protected in all its aspects. The Government seems to have forgotten that it is a co-guarantor of the Agreement. Now is the time to remember that and stand up for the interests of all the people of this island.

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