Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this important motion. Of all the debates held in the House, being present for the debate this evening, with everyone being involved and everyone having their say from the various groups, is most important. The result of any vote on the agreement represents what I believe to be all of us putting our shoulders to the wheel at this critical time. That is most important.

The Joint Committee on European Union Affairs, of which I am the Chairman, has been closely monitoring the progress of the Brexit negotiations since the referendum vote in 2016. We have been following the entire process. We have considered the various statements and conclusions of the Council of the European Union and the European Council during the past two and a half years. These have paved the way for the draft withdrawal agreement. While the details seldom emerged in public, apart from at the staging posts, it is clear from looking at the draft agreement that Michel Barnier's taskforce has been hard at work all this time. Throughout the Brexit process I have spoken in this Chamber and at meetings of the joint committee about the need for decisive progress on Brexit. I said that the clock was ticking and that time was running out. Now, here it is. After long negotiations we now have a draft of the withdrawal agreement. I think it is great that we are finally seeing all of the technical detail of the withdrawal agreement and that the negotiating teams are suggesting that we consider it now, even if it is a little close to the wire.

I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, our Ministers and all the officials who have been working hard to ensure that Ireland's interest are heard in Europe. The Government has succeeded in making our case in Europe and ensured that Ireland has been kept at the top of the Brexit agenda. That is terribly important. In parallel, many Members have been conscientious in doing their part by engaging with parliamentary delegations from EU member states and explaining the unique Irish situation. On account of all of that work there is strong understanding of the challenges posed by the Border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Only this week at the meeting of COSAC, the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union, the delegations from the French and German parliaments tabled a proposal for an amendment. It stressed that the Good Friday Agreement must be protected unconditionally for a sustainable solution for all Irish citizens and emphasised the need for solidarity towards Ireland.

The amendment was accepted. This is just a small example of the important solidarity we have been afforded by our European partners. It is important to recognise that. As I have said on previous occasions, there is no such thing as a good Brexit for Ireland, the UK or the EU. However, I respect the result of the referendum vote. We all need to move forward, and this draft agreement allows us to do that. It is not perfect, but it provides a workable solution to the biggest public policy challenge we have faced as a nation in decades.

In view of the circumstances, we should welcome and support the draft withdrawal agreement. It is important that a strong backstop is put in place. We need that guarantee and the draft agreement provides it. It is important that the backstop will be in place for as long as it is needed and will only be replaced when we have found something better. The draft agreement provides for that. It is also very important that there is a sufficient transition period. People in the UK, Ireland and the EU need time to prepare for the effect of Brexit on their businesses and communities. The draft agreement provides for that. It is important that Irish citizens living in the UK are able to continue with their lives, and the draft agreement provides for that. It is important that the common travel area will continue, and the draft agreement will provide for that. It is important that all parts of the Good Friday agreement are protected and that the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland to the draft agreements commits not to diminish the rights set out in that agreement, and that North-South co-operation is protected. It is important that the unique single electricity market on the island of Ireland is protected so that there is no disruption in our homes, and the draft agreement provides for that.

We have a draft withdrawal agreement. It seems to mitigate most of the worst affects of Brexit, but not all of them. There are many hurdles yet to be traversed, including agreeing the withdrawal with all sides. The draft withdrawal agreement has been cleared by Theresa May’s cabinet, but that, as we know, was far from straightforward. Getting the withdrawal treaty through the House of Commons will be an enormous challenge, and we do not know how that will go. The full text of the draft withdrawal agreement also has to be agreed by the European Council and the European Parliament. These are all important hurdles that must be cleared.

There are just over four months until Brexit. There is a lot of work to be done between now and then. We will have a lot of work to do afterwards as the EU and the UK start to negotiate the second phase and the details of their future relationship. We must remember that all of this is just the first stage, but it now looks like it is the beginning of the end of the first stage. Realistically, it will be a very long time before the Brexit process is finished. There might be many years of discussions and negotiations before the terms of the UK’s relationship with the EU are finally agreed and implemented. I still hope that we manage to get to the end of it with a good and strong relationship. It is vital to remember that our farmers, our business people, those in the tourism sector and our fishermen, who we have already spoken about tonight, did not dream up the idea of Brexit. They are the bystanders whose lives and incomes will be affected detrimentally by it. That is why all politicians - including our Government, Irish officials and everyone in this House - must play their part. That joint effort is a good defence of the people we were elected to represent and who we are duty bound to stand by. We must be there to support them and watch out for their interests. They did not vote for Brexit. They are not the politicians who dreamt it up. Others did that, and they can be judged on their actions. History will judge them - they are already being judge - on the basis of their actions. To date, the Government, its negotiators and the Members of this House have not let the people down. Everyone has worked diligently, and we will all continue to work to do the right thing by the people at all times. I welcome the draft withdrawal agreement and believe this house should support it. We should all, in our own little way, put our shoulders to the wheel and do the right thing by Ireland.

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