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

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Taoiseach as ucht a chuid freagra.

I welcome the visit to Ireland by Mr. Michel Barnier. Yesterday's all-island civic dialogue on Brexit in Dundalk was a very good initiative which was particularly enjoyed by the young people who were invited to participate. Mr. Barnier is also due to visit Newry, Derry and Dungannon and it is very important that he makes those trips. I was pleased to see that the Taoiseach visited Warrenpoint and Lurgan. Those visits were also extremely important and I am sure the Taoiseach did not miss how warmly he was welcomed by all sections of the community. In that context, the obnoxious, racially charged and very discourteous remarks made by a person formerly known as Mr. John Taylor, now known as Lord Kilclooney, are to be absolutely rejected. In my experience, such remarks do not represent the attitude of the vast majority of people from any side of the community, where people carry themselves with considerably more dignity and courtesy than that.

I was interested to hear Mr. Barnier's comments in respect of the Border, the backstop and the answer to the Irish question. I also listened very carefully to what the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste had to say. I want to reiterate that I am very concerned that these matters have slipped from December to March and now on into June. We are being told that June, rather than being a red line or a definitive date, is now a stepping stone. That is a very dangerous game to play. It is a deliberate strategy on the part of the British Government to play down the clock and I ask the Taoiseach to give his views on this again. I would like to hear him firm up the Dublin position in respect of June and to reiterate to Mrs. May's Government that we need an answer and that it needs to come forward by June with its proposed solution.

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