Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

When the institutions collapsed, public confidence in them was at rock bottom. They collapsed because of a perception of corruption and malpractice. The Deputy might struggle with the notion that public opinion reacts adversely to corruption and bad practice, but that is how it happened. If one cares to go and listen widely, people will say with clarity that they did not want a situation where the DUP, which had never signed up to the Good Friday Agreement, was not working in the power-sharing agreement. The Deputy may say the big issue is decommissioning or policing, but many of the people whom he frequently derides and about whom he is extremely snide and sarcastic were instrumental in building that politics with others.

A whole generation of nationalists and, beyond that, progressives in the North will not wait for rights. If that upsets the Deputy or the Taoiseach, sin é. I accept that when the Taoiseach spoke of the "precious union" he was not being snide or sarcastic. If it is any consolation to our unionist friends, the snide and sarcastic commentary in this Chamber is directed towards nationalists, be they Sinn Féin or other Northern nationalists, who do not see the world through the same prism as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Nationalists have lived and continue to live a different reality, their view point is not respected and their democratic mandate is consistently questioned by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

I partly agree with the Taoiseach about preparation for a crash Brexit because it is unknown and uncharted territory. I accept he has obligations but I urge him to be careful and avoid talking up the prospect of a crash or a no deal scenario. It is not in anyone's interest and he should not rise to that bait.

As I said to Mrs. May yesterday evening, if unionists think that a crash is what will save their precious union, and that hardening the Border will resolve the matter, they are foolish because there cannot be a hard border on our island. We are all ad idemon that. While we will respectfully listen and understand, it must be understood that the interests of the whole island will be protected by all of us, not least by the Taoiseach as head of Government.

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