Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Beidh mise agus Teachta Seán Crowe ag caint.

Michel Barnier's determination that the Brexit negotiations could not move to the next stage was inevitable, given the lack of willingness of the British Government to engage substantially on three key issues. The Tories repeat the same platitudes and language about the Good Friday Agreement and the Border that they have used for the past year, but they say one thing and do the exact opposite. The threat to the Good Friday Agreement is real and one to which the Government must face up. It is sleepwalking into an even greater crisis in Anglo-Irish relations if it does not respond robustly to the threat presented by the British Government to return to direct rule. British rule in Ireland had failed; it had failed on this part of the island and in the North. We need to see the Good Friday Agreement being implemented fully. The current crisis has been caused by broken agreements. Any return to direct rule would be in direct breach of the St. Andrews Agreement and in addition to the other breaches. Rather than peddling false information on the state of the talks process, the Taoiseach needs to advise the British Prime Minister, Mrs. Theresa May, that the Irish Government is absolutely opposed to a return to direct rule and that he expects the British Government, including the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to fulfil and hold to its obligations under agreements, of which the Irish Government is co-guarantor. The threat to the Good Friday Agreement posed by the Brexit debate could be averted if the Agreement was incorporated in full as an annex to the withdrawal agreement. Caithfidh an Rialtas é sin a bhrú ar Rialtas na Breataine chun aon phlean ceart a chur ar aghaidh.

The Taoiseach has said many times - I agree with him - that the British Government's proposals will cost jobs, undermine our economies, subvert sectors on both parts of the island and undermine the process of peace and political dialogue. It is disappointing that the Irish Government's position appears to have changed from recognising the need for special arrangements for the North to there being a lack of clarity. The Government needs to be relentless in its opposition to a return to an economic border. That needs to be said repeatedly and also acted on. Ba chéim siar aon teorainn a bheith ann ar an oileáin seo. Ba dhroch-rud é do ghnó, d'fheirmeoirí agus do shaoránaigh ó Thuaidh agus ó Theas.

The issue of the Border requires a political solution, not one that is technical or electronic. That is recognised by the European Commission and the European Parliament, but, apparently, not by the leader of Fianna Fáil who appears to have a different position. Deputy Mícheál Martin wants the Government to look at options for Border controls. He is looking for an electronic solution to a political problem, but there is none. The solution lies in the entire island remaining in the customs union and the Single Market.

In a broadcast on BBC last night the Taoiseach said there was a willingness within the European Union to be flexible and bend the rules for the North. He also said people should not see it as a threat to the constitutional settlement or the union. That is something Sinn Féin has stated all along and I am glad that the Taoiseach has now come to that position. What he needs to do now is to push for designated special status for the North within the European Union and continue to engage with unionists. The commitment to bring the civic dialogue to the North needs to be acted on.

I refer to the ongoing plight of Ibrahim Halawa. I hope the Taoiseach will raise at the European Council meeting the matter of his continued incarceration. I expressed my concern to the Taoiseach on 4 October that Ibrahim Halawa had been denied visits by officials from the Irish embassy in Cairo. The Taoiseach replied that he did not know if that was the case but that he would come back to me on the matter. It took him a full week to do so. I do not know if other party leaders have this problem, but there appears to be some fault line, given that Sinn Féin is having trouble in securing speedy responses from the Taoiseach on these important issues. I know that his concern about Ibrahim Halawa's continued detention is heartfelt, but I appeal to him again. Ibrahim Halawa has been acquitted and is being held for no reason I can understand. We must respect other countries' right to operate their own judicial systems, but the release of Ibrahim Halawa should be secured as soon as possible. I ask the Taoiseach to raise the matter in the upcoming talks.

On the ongoing political crisis in Catalonia, the only way to end any dispute is through inclusive dialogue and mediation. Two weeks ago I spoke to the Catalan President on the telephone when he assured me that his government was ready for talks and that that was his priority. The Taoiseach has said he supports dialogue, but he needs to act. I look to him to lead the imperative for dialogue. The jailing of two civic society activists by the Spanish High Court two days ago flies in the face of this imperative. We look to the Taoiseach to ask the European Union to intervene directly to ensure there will be dialogue and mediation.

See this speech in context