Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Tánaiste has clarified that this is the text because comments were made in the House of Commons last week to the effect that this was not the final agreement and that certain aspects of it were only temporary. Perhaps that speaks more to the political situation in the UK than the tone of the conversation between the two teams.

It is important to stress that there is no such thing as a good Brexit but the withdrawal agreement contains the necessary protections and precautions to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. It also upholds the Good Friday Agreement, particularly in the first line of the Northern Ireland protocol, which is necessary and has been very well received. It also ensures the continuance of North-South co-operation. Under the terms of the draft text, Northern Ireland is effectively given special economic status, broadly in line with what Fianna Fáil first proposed more than two years ago.

The British Prime Minister now faces difficulties and divisions within her own party and across the House of Commons. The Tánaiste also mentioned the situation in Spain over Gibraltar and there are issues about the text of that aspect of the agreement. What happens in the event that the withdrawal agreement is rejected by the House of Commons? What is the plan of the Irish Government and what is the plan of the EU negotiating team in that event? What happens the next day? What is the timeline? What is plan B if that happens? We will know in a very short time.

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