Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Speaking at the European Parliament several weeks ago, the Taoiseach warned the British Government that there must be no backsliding on the December agreement. During statements on the EU in the Dáil, he said it was important to remain vigilant to ensure that the commitments entered into in December's agreement would be delivered in full. Then, at the World Economic Forum at Davos, he reminded the British that commitments entered into in December on avoiding a hard border would be adhered to. The Taoiseach would appear to have significant concerns about the preparedness of the British to deliver on their commitments. That is a concern I am sure many of us share, especially given the litany of broken promises around the Good Friday Agreement. Has the Taoiseach sought additional assurances or guarantees from the British Government that this will not happen? Much of our economic future could be influenced by the decisions of the British and the EU and their approach to Brexit.

While at Davos, the Taoiseach also called for a Norway-plus deal for Britain. It is clear from Michel Barnier's remarks in London that the EU still does not know what sort of relationship the British want with the EU after Brexit. Has either the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, spoken to either the British or to our EU partners on this proposed Norway-plus model? Can the Taoiseach share with us any responses that have been received? Is this approach supported by Michel Barnier? Has the Taoiseach acknowledged that his proposal would have to be a specific arrangement, as there is no precedent for this kind of relationship? The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada reduces tariffs but does little in the way of services. The EU-Norway arrangement allows Norway virtually full access to the Single Market, but Norway still has to abide by all EU rules and pay into the EU budget which, to my knowledge, is not an approach that the British would accept.

If it is possible for the EU to construct special arrangements with Canada, Norway, Greenland and other countries, why can the Government not push for the North to have special designated status within the EU as a way of avoiding a hard economic border? As the Taoiseach already knows, the commitments contained in the joint report on the Irish Border and agreed by the EU and UK in December are due to be transposed into binding legal documents in the coming weeks. In this way, these commitments will be embedded in the withdrawal treatment covering Britain's departure from the EU next March. What steps is the Government taking to ensure that there is absolutely no ambiguity regarding the North in this codified text?

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