Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Táim buíoch as an deis labhairt ar an ábhar tabhachtach seo um thráthnóna. Last December we were told that the so-called backstop arrangement was a guarantee or insurance policy that there would be no hard border on the island of Ireland and that the interests of citizens in the North, the majority of whom voted against Brexit, would be protected. We were told at that time that this arrangement would be enshrined in a legal text by March of this year. When that deadline came and went, we were then told the British Government would produce firm proposals by June. After that, the deadline became the October European Council meeting. The Taoiseach said at the time that he would prefer to have the right deal in October than any deal in June. That was a fair position, given the scale of what is involved, but it is now nearly November and there is no deal in sight.

I am not blaming the Taoiseach for that. I believe he was led up the garden path by the British Government which, frankly, has engaged in bad faith. It signed up to the backstop last year and has spent every moment since then trying to renege on it. It has stalled and prevaricated. This is due to the fighting and division within the Tory party and Mrs. Theresa May's toxic pact with the DUP. That is the reality. The DUP has aligned itself with the most right-wing element of the Conservative party, UKIP and extremist Brexiteers, and moved from a position of seeking to avert or avoid a hard border to actively seeking one. In the months that followed Brexit even Jeffrey Donaldson, difficult as it might be to imagine it now, was making the case for a special deal for the island of Ireland. Now, due to pure politics, the language of the DUP has shifted to "not an inch" and "no surrender", and it is ready and willing to sacrifice the progress of the past 20 years just to be seen to be particularly staunch or hard-line. That is a reckless and irresponsible position, in spite of the considerable goodwill that exists across Europe for the North and a willingness to make arrangements that would be favourable to the North, perhaps more favourable than other areas enjoy.

The DUP does not represent the majority of people in the North and it does not represent the majority opinion in the North, which voted to remain. That point cannot be made often enough. The North voted to remain and that vote must be respected. The special circumstances pertaining to the North and the island of Ireland must be recognised. On Monday, Mrs. Theresa May addressed the House of Commons in Westminster in what was billed in advance as a significant statement on Brexit. Unfortunately, it was anything but. There was nothing new, only rhetoric. There were no new proposals on the backstop or the border and nothing new in respect of Ireland. Her proposal for a time limited backstop, which in reality means no backstop at all, is a non-runner. The backstop cannot and will not be temporary. She must grasp that reality and do it quickly. It is incredible that with five months to go, she still has not got the message. The fact is that she signed up and agreed to the backstop in December. It remains the bottom line in order to prevent a hard border and safeguard our political and economic stability, now and for the future. It cannot be negotiated downwards or watered down. The integrity of the peace process is at stake here and there is an onus on the Taoiseach and the EU 27 to ensure there is no resiling from that position and no return to a hard border on our island.

Unfortunately, time is running out. The Taoiseach said he is not interested in deadlines, and I accept that. A deal late in the day is clearly better than no deal. However, there will have to be ratification of any agreement and that will not be a straightforward process. Last week the European Parliament made it clear that it will not support a withdrawal agreement without a workable and legally operational backstop. I welcome that. It is recognition of the unique circumstances of our island. The European Parliament gets it. Mrs. Theresa May must do the same. There is an onus on political leaders to defend our country's political and economic interests. We can have our disagreements on a plethora of issues but this is far too important for everyone on the island. That has guided Sinn Féin's approach to this issue. We have supported the Government and the European negotiating team in their endeavours to get the best deal possible for Ireland.

We want that as the final outcome, and that should be the position of everybody and every party on the island. We will continue to defend the position of citizens in the North and across the island. People want a frictionless Border and the full protection of the Good Friday Agreement. The Brexit backstop must be the bottom line and the absolute minimum. There is an onus on the British Government to step up to the plate. The onus on the Irish Government is to defend and promote an all-island view. The Government must stand firm in defending the interests of the entire island and the rights of citizens. The Taoiseach and the Government must remain resolute in the face of British intransigence, and the EU must remain true to its word that without an agreed, legally enforceable Brexit backstop there will be no withdrawal agreement.

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