Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I asked the Tánaiste whether he had met the British Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, or had any plans to do so. He might answer that question when he responds. We all acknowledge that there are serious and deep concerns in the UK. There is no triumph in negotiating something which cannot be delivered so we all need to be mature about this. The time for victory and celebration is when this draft agreement is accepted and ratified by all. The Tánaiste and the Ministers should be acutely aware of the impact of comments made here in Ireland during what is a very sensitive and volatile time in the UK. I ask the Tánaiste and his colleagues in government to try, from today, to resist the temptation to brief the press with victorious statements, such as we have seen in some of the Irish newspapers today. That is irresponsible and they should desist from that. They should put the national interest first in this instance. Much time and effort has been put in by the Government, with the support of the Opposition.

Every statement being made in Ireland is being scrutinised, and we should be aware of that. Silence from the Government worked on Monday and Tuesday. I ask the Government to return to being silent for the next day or two and to allow the process to move through Westminster. We have to be conscious of that.

With regard to contingency planning, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, stated earlier that a lot of detailed work has been done. Will the Government publish the sectoral contingency plans on the basis of a no-deal scenario and let the sectors see our current level of preparedness?

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