Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae will not be here, but I am not sure about Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. If he arrives, I will give way.

I am happy to make a few brief remarks. For most of us who followed the European Council meeting, the main point that jumped out was that Brexit received all of 60 seconds of consideration on the agenda. That must worry any right-thinking Irish person, given Brexit's imminent onset. For anyone watching, it was obvious that the bulk of the time was given over to saving Chancellor Merkel's backside from her own internal political disputes on the issue of migration. It was not the first time, and will not be the last, that German concerns dominated the Union's political agenda. It is a pity that we did not see such interest or support from Chancellor Merkel and others in power, including EU chiefs, during our banking crisis.

We read in yesterday's UK newspapers that Prime Minister May's Brexit White Paper is expected to propose that the UK remain indefinitely in the Single Market for goods after Brexit so as to avoid the need for checks at the Irish Border. When President Juncker appeared before our joint sitting, I put the example of the newly constructed border compound between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia to him. How could it be any different here if there was a hard border? It could not. I cannot imagine it.

It is also understood that, while the UK is offering concessions on financial services, it wants restrictions on the free movement of people. Therein lies the problem. We all know that the EU will never agree to this. According to reports, a former head of the European Council's legal service stated: " ... it would be impossible for the EU to split the four freedoms underpinning the bloc's internal market, which are[we joined in the 1970s]: free movement of goods, services, capital and people." Where are these freedoms now?

All of this demonstrates that we are set for another round of tortuous political wrangling that will do nothing but create a deeper level of political and economic uncertainty. Such uncertainty is already with us and growing with each passing day thanks to the utter confusion across the water. It could continue during the summer, yet only 60 seconds were given to discussing Brexit. People were concerned with massaging Chancellor Merkel's ego and giving her the royal salute. We must face up to reality. It is time that we did.

Where is the failure proof position and the cast iron guarantee the Taoiseach announced last Christmas? I think the heat is having an inordinate effect on the Government.

I do not normally find myself agreeing with my colleague Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett, but he put his finger on the main issue when he asked President Jean-Claude Juncker a very simple question: can we trust him? Can we trust the European Union to finally back us when push comes to shove? Our experience following the economic crash has not been good. Their banks recklessly shovelled money into Ireland and they then penalised and crucified us. They are still doing so. Where are our friends when we need them? Will they back us? President Juncker might say it, but will it be the reality? That will be a key issue when all of what is happening back and forth finally comes to an end, for better or worse. It is time it came to an end. Can we trust the European Union not to throw us to the wolves as collateral damage in the broader scheme of things? That is the worry that thousands of Irish people and I have. Our experience has not led us to believe we can trust the European Union. Our bitter experience is that our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be paying back these so-called friends. With friends like them, we do not need many enemies. Perhaps they sense that, regardless of what they do to us - they have good reason for thinking this - we will go back to pleading to be accepted as the best in the class. We have history and form in that regard. I call it lick-something-that-starts-with-an-A.

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