Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Two issues will dominate the upcoming European Council meeting and we will have a chance to deal with them tomorrow in statements. Those are the issues of migration and Brexit. We had assumed up to relatively recently that the Brexit issue would be the definitive one. It may well be eclipsed now by migration. On the strong words expressed in this House last week by the President of the European Commission, does the Taoiseach remain confident that support for Ireland is solid? I am hearing reports from Brussels that the so called Visegrad group of countries - Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary - is suggesting that a deal on trade is very important and might be more important to their interests than any issue in Ireland. It would be interesting to hear the Taoiseach's view on that.

We were supposed to have a definitive decision on the Irish Border issue for this Council meeting. I expressed my concerns for some months now that this may well be fudged again and that we would be in a difficult position in the run up to the October Council. We are, however, where we are and we can only hope that all member states have a clear line supporting the Taoiseach to ensure that we too are crystal clear that there can be no ongoing trading relations or no long-term deal until these matters are resolved.

I address the issue of migration. I presume the Taoiseach expressed congratulations to Prime Minister Sánchez on accepting a migrant boat into Spanish ports when it was rejected by Italy and Malta. What did the Taoiseach suggest that Ireland, in concrete terms, could do to address the European problem with migration?

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