Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This week's events in Westminster are a cause of great concern for the Irish people. We are all a little Brexit fatigued after more than two years of intense discussions but we seem further away than ever from a workable solution to the problem we face.

There are many predictions for what might happen next: fresh elections in the UK; a second referendum; an extension of Article 50; perhaps all of these. However, the EU has made clear that the deal on the table will not be reopened, a position strongly endorsed by the Irish Government. While the UK Parliament clearly rejected the Brexit withdrawal deal on Tuesday by a staggering margin of 432 votes to 202, with 118 Members of Theresa May's party voting against her deal, the UK Government has not officially rejected the deal. The UK Government negotiated the deal and has endorsed it. Irrespective of how dead it may seem, it is still technically on the table.

The ball is firmly in the UK's court and the UK Government must make the next move. It must tell us what it wants to do next. It is not for Ireland to bend and weave simply because Westminster cannot make up its mind. We have done our part and the UK must now honour its own commitments in this process. We must reflect on the outcome of Tuesday's vote and assess whatever subsequent plan Theresa May brings before her Parliament on Monday.

The chaos in Westminster provides a stark contrast to the political stability and united front we have displayed here in Ireland. Fianna Fáil's decision to extend confidence and supply has provided that stability in our country's interest and has given Government the space to see Brexit through. Our approach always has been and will continue to be constructive with the sole objective of getting the best possible deal for Ireland and buffering Ireland from the worst possible impact of whatever Brexit we may get.

It is incredible to think that if Sinn Féin had got its way, we would be in the middle of a general election campaign right now. This comes from a party that has allowed the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive to remain dormant and inactive for two years at a most crucial time for Northern Ireland. Thankfully Sinn Féin did not get its way.

The UK Government now needs to get its act together for all our sakes. People's livelihoods, their jobs and futures, and potential opportunities are on the line, both here in the Republic and in the UK, with Northern Ireland being particularly vulnerable. No one will benefit from a hard Brexit, but simply because something is so terrible and no one wants it to happen, it does not mean it will not happen. We all sincerely hope a deal is done and done sooner rather than later because the uncertainty is already having an impact. It is impacting on businesses, farming and education, with people adapting their choices and investments because of Brexit and the great unknown post-Brexit world we are facing into.

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In 2017, the Central Bank estimated that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Ireland's GDP could be 3% lower than would be the case in a no-Brexit scenario. That could mean the loss of up to 40,000 jobs in Ireland. The agrifood sector is particularly exposed. Some 250,000 jobs are supported by that sector - 80% of which are outside Dublin - and these, in turn, support many rural communities. Several reports have highlighted that Brexit would decimate our agrifood industry. We are still very unclear as to what supports will be available to the sector in the aftermath of Brexit.

While we cannot control what happens at Westminster, we can control how prepared we are for Brexit. I have consistently raised the issue of Ireland's domestic preparedness because I am of the view that we are nowhere near as prepared as we should be. Just how prepared are we for a no-deal Brexit? My fear is that the Government has put all its eggs into the getting-a-deal basket and has been reluctant to face the fact that some of those eggs should be in the no-deal basket. We must accept that the potential for a no-deal Brexit is very real. This belief was echoed by the EU's chief negotiator, Mr. Michel Barnier, following Tuesday's vote in the House of Commons, when he said that the risk of a no-deal Brexit is higher than ever before. I hope this warning has resonated with Cabinet and has prompted an appropriate, urgent response from Government.

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