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

I agree with the Taoiseach that would not be a helpful thing to do. As he well knows, that is something which we have not done. In fact, considerable and very fruitful efforts have been made to ensure cross-community and cross-party support for a consensus against Brexit in the North. Brexit is a British Tory invention. All this disruption and tension is not of our making or of the making of anyone in this House. It is of the making of the Tories across the water.

The Taoiseach talks about relying on a vote at Westminster and the safe passage of the withdrawal agreement. That may or may not occur. Let me emphasise again that I want to see a crash no more than the Taoiseach does. However, I also want to say to the Taoiseach, as Head of Government with the responsibility to advance Irish national interests and to protect everyone on this island, North and South, east and west, that he now has to plan and prepare for such an unfortunate scenario with eyes wide open. Rather than evading his responsibilities by talking up disruption or disruptive forces, he needs to look this dilemma squarely in the eye.

If there is a no-deal Brexit, all bets are off as regards the Good Friday Agreement. All bets are off in terms of economic prosperity, social cohesion and solidarity. Rather than advancing this plan as something that is hostile to any of our people, the Taoiseach needs to understand it as an absolute necessity. In the event of a crash, we need a strong, robust plan B. The only viable plan B is the removal of the Border – the removal of the gash across our island. Has the Taoiseach planned for this contingency? Are plans under way? People need to hear reassuring words from him that he is planning in accordance with the Good Friday Agreement to allow people the opportunity to make a call, ultimately, perhaps between the union with Britain and membership of the European Union?

See this speech in context