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

I do not need one. On 29 April, the Taoiseach will go to the European Council meeting and the guidelines for the negotiations with Britain on Brexit will be agreed. We have already raised with the Taoiseach our deep concern about the guidelines, particularly Article 11 which is weak, vague and certainly insufficient. It does not provide the negotiating platform necessary to protect the interests of Ireland North and South.

I am disappointed that time has not been made available for a debate in advance of the Taoiseach's attendance at that meeting. I asked him before about his willingness to accept an amendment to Article 11 and to argue for that. That is what I believe he should be doing. Sinn Féin has formulated a motion in the wording that we believe is necessary to provide us with the kind of protection that the Government, or whoever is Taoiseach, will need to seek in respect of Ireland. Is the Taoiseach willing to accept a proposition for such an amendment to Article 11 to strengthen our position and his position as our negotiator?

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