Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

One of the main objectives and goals of the Government, and of this House, in the past year, in respect of Brexit has been to ensure the rights and privileges enjoyed currently by Irish citizens who have made their lives in Britain are maintained into the future. We had a briefing last night and the Tánaiste then made utterances in the press. It is interesting that he had cautioned us about what we might say about the memorandum of understanding but I had not left the room when I read about his briefing on it. That is fine.

Regarding the memorandum of understanding and the high level agreement that we understand has been reached between Britain and Ireland, will the underpinning legislation form part of the omnibus Bill, or will it be a stand-alone Bill? Will all of the issues be addressed? The Taoiseach will recall that one of the concerns we had about writing down the rights enjoyed under the common travel area was that we would in some ways restrict them because in many ways it was a melodeon set of rights. Because they were not codified and set down in legislation they were perhaps broader than ones that were set out. Could I ask the nature of the legislative underpinning, how it is to be done and if it is to be done as part of the omnibus Bill this side of 29 March?

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