Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Every day that passes we are nearer to the end of the Brexit negotiations. I do not need to remind the Minister of the importance of this and of what is at stake at the heart of these negotiations. In December last year the British Government signed up to an agreement that included the provision of a backstop aimed at avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and that would safeguard the Good Friday Agreement. We know the backstop in and of itself did not fully provide the protections that were required but it was an important step forward and an acknowledgement of the unique circumstances that apply to our island, North and South.

Since that agreement there has been, regrettably, no clarity on the legal text forthcoming in respect of the implementation of the backstop, despite assurances that it would be in place as of March of this year. Instead, we have a British Government that is backsliding, has ignored deadlines, has avoided living up to its obligations and has shirked its responsibility. The latest British Government proposal is for a time-limited backstop, which, in reality, would mean no backstop.

I welcome the Government's dismissal of that proposal yesterday, but unfortunately the Tories' toxic deal with the DUP has undermined the progress that we should have made by now. The DUP and the far right of the Tory Party have sought to undermine the agreement the British Government previously signed up to. The DUP has moved from a position of not wanting a hard border to one of now seeking a hard border. That is absolutely reckless. It is an irresponsible position to take, but the reality is – we know as much in this House – that the DUP does not represent the majority of the people in the North, who voted to remain.

Sinn Féin will continue to defend the position of citizens in the North and across the island who want the best deal possible. People want a frictionless border. They want full protections for the Good Friday Agreement in all of its parts. They want to be sure that the backstop is the bottom line and that it is the absolute minimum we will accept. The Tánaiste said on "Morning Ireland" this morning that the transition period could now be extended. That proposal may have merit and we are open to that, but the crux of the matter is that time is running out in respect of delivery. The Government has said it is not into deadlines. I appreciate that, but there needs to be a deadline at some stage because there has to be ratification of this deal and that will not be a straightforward process. Earlier this week, the European Parliament was clear when it said that it will not support the withdrawal agreement without a workable and legally operable backstop. I welcome that statement.

I am looking for insight that the Government and Ministers may have picked up yesterday in Luxembourg or this morning. Does the Government expect any meaningful progress to occur at the European Council meeting this week? Can the Minister for Justice and Equality outline to the Dáil when the absolute deadline arises for a backstop to be agreed for the ratification process to take place?

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