Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There are four questions in this group, ranging from Estonia to Washington. I agree with Deputy Howlin that we need a specific session on the December deal, which we were told was bulletproof. I am not talking about the common travel area or the recognition of European citizenship rights; they were always there and non-contentious. The key issue was the regulatory alignment and essentially for the purposes of the North-South Border irrespective of whether the UK was in or out of the customs union there would be regulatory alignment.

The bulletproof deal has since become a default deal that we do not want to get to. This is in the Taoiseach's own words. Michel Barnier and Commissioner Hogan have put it very starkly that if the UK stays out of the customs union and outside the Single Market, there will be a border. That is in sharp contrast to what we were led to believe before Christmas. Irrespective of whether it was over-hyped or oversold before Christmas, there was a clear sense which was communicated to us by Government personnel that what was agreed before Christmas was legally fireproof. We need clarity on that and a specific session on the matter would be useful.

Estonia has been very close to Ireland since it joined the European Union in 2004. I note its Prime Minister specifically referred to the role of Ireland's then Government in welcoming Estonia and the other Baltic countries into membership.

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