Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Mattie McGrath for sharing time.

It is hard to believe what is going on in British politics. After 45 years of membership of the EU, the UK is leaving on 29 March next, after which it will have third-country status. That is the current position although things may change. The UK electorate was not told the truth during the referendum campaign. The debate was ugly and nasty, at times, and centred around immigration, which is now one of the major global issues. A false scenario was presented to the electorate, and the UK public and Members of Parliament have only recently become aware of the reality that exists. The British Prime Minister recently explained the hard facts of the situation, which has led to her difficulties in getting approval in Parliament for the withdrawal agreement. If nothing else, Theresa May is resilient and tenacious, and we await developments in that regard in London this evening.

I note the comments made by the leader of Fianna Fáil, Deputy Micheál Martin, earlier. Providing political stability to the country at this dangerous time is welcome. Irish businesses are doubtless becoming exercised about Brexit, as are the wider public. It was a difficult decision for Deputy Micheál Martin to embark on the road he outlined for us earlier, and it will cause difficulties within our party, but it is in the national interest. When one compares what is happening in UK politics with what is happening here, there is a significant contrast. In general, people will welcome the political stability he has offered.

I listened to a great speech by a former British Prime Minister, John Major, in Dublin yesterday. He is such a sensible, pragmatic man and politician. One of the main concerns in his address was the future of Anglo-Irish relations. If the UK is no longer in the European Union, it is clear there will be less opportunity for interaction with Ministers from both jurisdictions to discuss the major issues of the day. He outlined many other concerns but that was one of which we must be conscious.

The major issue is to prepare for a hard Brexit. We need to be prepared for Britain crashing out of the European Union, that is, a disorderly Brexit. I note that the Cabinet mandated all Departments yesterday to give full priority to activating their plans for a no-deal or disorderly Brexit. We need to prepare for the no-deal scenario. There was some discussion in the House earlier on the legislation which the Oireachtas will have to pass in preparation. It needs to be addressed quickly and considered over the Christmas recess with a view to dealing with the situation in the new year. It will be necessary to hire customs officers, vets and food and safety inspectors for our ports and airports, a matter which I assume the Government is dealing with as we speak. Businesses need to be fully aware of the situation. Many other issues will be discussed at the European Council meeting, including the multi-annual financial framework. I hope that cap can be protected, as I have previously told the Minister of State. Migration is also an important issue, and it is probably one of the reasons that Brexit is happening. I hope that practical measures can be taken to deal with the major issue of migration, which affects Europe and the rest of the world.

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