Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt the Tánaiste is good at briefings and reports, but we still do not have answers on the substantive issues. There has not been the substantive progress on the Border that the Tánaiste said was cast-iron and bullet-proof in terms of the backstop commitments. We were told we must be real about what is possible and what can be published, but it is not possible that I would know everything that is in the Tánaiste's mind it he is not briefing us on it.

The June Council meeting is not all about Brexit. Certainly, the impression given by the Tánaiste in the past couple of months was that this meeting would be the deadline when we would see substantial progress. However, Brexit is one of a number of issues to be discussed in June and the migration crisis will likely take precedence over it. In Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker's address to the joint siting of the Dáil and Seanad last week, he stated:

As the clock ticks down to Brexit, we must prepare for every eventuality, including no deal. This is neither a desired nor a likely outcome, but it is not an impossible one...

Only this week the Government admitted it was going to start planning for a potential hard Brexit. I did not suggest nothing had been done for other scenarios but, in regard to a hard Brexit, certainly nothing had been done at that stage. British and European trade unions and business organisations are now demanding pace and urgency and seeking measurable progress on the backstop arrangement for Ireland. They are now doing the Tánaiste's job by advocating for a solution to that issue. Leaving this until October leaves us in a vulnerable position.

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