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

Although the Revenue Commissioners carried out the exercise, I do not believe the exercise was necessary to put what I describe up in lights.

The Taoiseach gave the reasons the Cabinet sub-committee is not meeting as regularly as would be optimal. Given this, he needs to ask himself the purpose of the sub-committee and the effectiveness of its work.

May I ask the Taoiseach about the briefing of other political parties and leaders on these matters? Whatever our differences, I believe we can all work together constructively.

The Taoiseach should not imagine for a second that light debates about what a border might or might not look like would be lost on the Government in London and by others. It would be absolutely detrimental to send out a signal other than the fact that, politically, socially and economically, we cannot and will not entertain any border on the island. That needs to be said explicitly. Nonsensical positions on M50-style toll-free traffic certainly do not assist in that regard.

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