Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is very welcome that the all-island civic dialogue on Brexit will meet next Thursday. It has been a good initiative, both in the sectoral and plenary session gatherings. It has been useful in informing the Government and I hope citizens across the island have some sense that we need to come at this issue in an all-island manner. If I understand the Taoiseach's answer properly, it is also welcome that the committee which will be re-established will have Brexit as a major component of its responsibilities.

I attended the national ploughing championships yesterday. I offer my condolences to the family of the former national ploughing championships title holder, Mr. Martin Kehoe Jnr, who was tragically killed in a farm accident. Most of the talk at the national ploughing championships was about Brexit. Farmers in the entire agrifood sector are concerned about what is coming at us. I very much welcome the remarks of Mr. Guy Verhofstadt, MEP, in the North earlier. He said the North should remain in the customs union and the Single Market. That would effectively be special designated status for the North for which the House voted and which a majority of MLAs in the Assembly support. The people of the North voted to remain in the European Union, something the Government must uphold. I acknowledge that time is limited, but perhaps the Taoiseach might give us indication of where he understands the negotiating process to be between the British and the European Union. There appears to have been a complete failure thus far by the British Government to make progress on the issues that have been set aside. Will the Government insist on the Brexit negotiations not being allowed to move to the next stage of discussions until these issues are satisfactorily dealt with?

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