Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not fault the Office of the Revenue Commissioners for doing its work or the scoping exercise in which it is engaged in planning on a contingency basis. My understanding is the plan to divert 8% of freight traffic crossing the Border and have roaming customs patrols randomly stopping people does not represent a hard border solution; it is part of what it is called minimising the impact of Brexit. In that case, I would not like to see what a hard border would look like or the contingency plans. This goes to the core of the question. The finance committee, of which Deputy Michael McGrath and others in the House and I are part, is examining the impact of Brexit in financial, customs and trade terms. However, the contingency plans and the 31 documents that deal with the issue of customs posts along the Border are not being released to any Opposition Member in the House. Why not? Mr. Barnier stood on this spot and said we needed to speak the truth. His next sentence was that Brexit would have consequences. We are all big enough in this House to look at these issues and also need to know what the contingency plans are. We need to be armed with all of that information. I appeal to the Minister, despite the independence of Revenue, to present the finance committee with the presentation the Revenue Commissioners have undertaken on potential scenarios in policing the Border after Brexit. That is what should happen in a normal functioning democracy in which committees and Members are respected.

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