Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We are just a month from the second anniversary of the British decision to leave the European Union. Despite the consistent interventions of political parties, businesses, academics, and civic engagement groups from north and south of the Border, it is a damning indictment of the current British Tory Government and its partners in the DUP that we are no closer to even an interim arrangement regarding the Border post Brexit, let alone to resolving permanently the issue of the Border on our island.

It is now getting very close to decision time for all parties to this process, the Irish Government, the other European Union member states and the British Government. It is incredulous that at this point in the negotiations, the British Government would introduce a third option for address of the Border in the context of Brexit.

I have a deep fear this is a further tactic by this deeply divided Tory Government to attempt to buy further time. They have played and are playing a hard and fast game with the Good Friday peace agreement which is both dangerous and deeply damaging, and could result in the erosion of confidence and trust. The fact remains there is only one solution to this problem that has been created by the British referendum. There can be no border on the island of Ireland post-Brexit - no hard border, no soft border, not any border. My constituents in Cavan and Monaghan do not want a border any more than the majority of citizens in the Six Counties who voted to remain the European Union in the British referendum. This figure has since increased to 60% in recent polls.

Just two days ago, Karen Bradley, the British Secretary of State, again announced that the North will leave the EU customs union. If we in the House cannot yet interpret or explain how a border can be prevented without the North remaining in the customs union, then how are the ordinary citizens who will be most affected by it supposed to do so? With 60% of citizens in the North in favour of remaining in the EU, we are going to have to start moving towards consensus politics to resolve this, and accept the will of the people. Consent, of course, is the bedrock on which the Good Friday Agreement was planned, constructed, launched and built upon since.

Just this week my party, Sinn Féin, along with the SDLP, the Alliance Party and the Green Party, signed a letter of consensus, again calling for no hard border and for the North to remain in the customs union. These four parties together secured 49 of the 90 seats in the last Assembly election so the question, quite naturally, is fair to pose: for how long more can we neglect the will of the people?

The withdrawal agreement, we are told, needs to be agreed and adopted by October. Time, therefore, is not on our side, so what do we want? There can be no diminishing of the rights of Irish citizens provided by membership of EU, wherever on the island of Ireland they live. The Good Friday Agreement must be protected in every single aspect and in all of its parts. The people on both sides of the Border have worked long and hard on peace building and reconciliation and do not want it wrecked by a reckless and divided Tory Government, which appears blind to the consequences resulting from the fallout from Brexit. The people will not accept this and neither must we, as those entrusted to represent them, the Members of this Dáil of all parties and of a variety of independent collectives. We must act with a firm resolve - I believe that is the clear message we need to come from these statements today. We must act with a firm resolve and we must act together in the interest of this island and of all its people.

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