Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcomed the draft withdrawal agreement published last night and I commend all who were involved over such a protracted period in looking after Ireland's interest. As others have said, it is but a draft agreement. As we follow the situation that is unfolding in London, we should try to be optimistic. However, we need to prepare for what is looking increasingly likely to be the defeat of the agreement because a number of MPs from the British Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, Plaid Cymru, the Scottish National Party, the Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, and others have all declared that they will vote against it in the House of Commons. Some time ago, the Taoiseach promised that he would give us, on a confidential basis, a comprehensive briefing on the preparations being made in the event of there being no deal. Obviously, we must prepare for the worst as we hope for the best. Will the Tánaiste provide for this now in order that, hopefully, we will not just be able to hear about the preparations but have an input into them in the event that political events in Britain, over which we have no control, do not allow this very welcome agreement to be accepted?

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