Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I presume we have all been following developments in the House of Commons in recent days. I refer, for example, to the publication of the legal advice earlier today. There is a sense of bewilderment. It seems that the backstop is the focus of all of their attention. It seems that in many ways it is being used as a proxy for the real internal war between those who want a hard Brexit and those who want a soft Brexit. In that regard, it is interesting to note that the Taoiseach would have had an opportunity to engage in informal discussions at the British-Irish Council with the leader of the Welsh Labour Party. I presume he could easily have used that opportunity to articulate the concerns of his party. The same point can be made in the case of Mr. Lidington. Did they raise fundamental concerns about the backstop? If so, what did they say? What is the argument we have to counter or challenge? It is clear from our perspective that the backstop embodies the protections delivered by the Good Friday Agreement. I am interested in knowing whether this matter was raised by representatives of the Labour Party or the Conservatives at the British-Irish Council and, if so, what is their real concern?

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