Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this today because I represent a Border constituency which stretches right around the Border. One of the main areas is the central Border area region. A couple of weeks ago I visited the Irish Central Border Area Network, ICBAN, in Enniskillen and spoke to the CEO there about the difficulties it has at present with the funds available to try to do a reasonable job for economic development, never mind in the context of Brexit, and particularly a no-deal Brexit. It is talking about the need for investment and infrastructure. There is a significant area stretching from Lifford to Newry with no big cities or towns. It is primarily a rural area. The Border has made people face away rather than towards each other. In that context, they need investment now and to see that something will be put in place for them and their communities so they to be able to survive the impact of Brexit. Many of these people work on the other side of the Border and must cross it to go to work. They need to know what will happen with their taxation situation with a no-deal Brexit. They have assurances in respect of health at the moment. People who live in the South but work in the North have an entitlement to a medical card because they are, in effect, frontier workers under EU legislation. That will no longer be the case.

There is also the issue of exports and insurance on vehicles crossing the Border was mentioned earlier. There are also insured products crossing the Border. Will that insurance extend into a non-EU state? If people are transporting product across the landbridge - as Britain is so described - will that insurance no longer be in place when it crosses that landbridge? People have questions like these but they do not see that Government is stepping up to the mark to answer them.

One of the main things we all believe should be in place by now is an absolute assurance that state aid rules be set to one side. Europe must recognise that we are going to be in a very precarious position. On the table in Europe at this point, we should be seeing proposals on the millions of euros that we will need to invest in our ports, roads and infrastructure. We should see proposals to get that money into Ireland to try to negate the worst possible impacts of Brexit.

Many people understand that they will have huge problems in processing the customs duties, VAT and all of these matters, for which there is no expertise at present, in the event of a no-deal Brexit situation. EU trade and state rules need to be set to one side and that needs to happen as quickly as possible.

The old chestnuts, many of which have been around for the last 40 or 50 years, as to why Irish unity is not possible and the problems with it have been put to bed recently. Certainly, the economic benefits are there for all to see. Everyone on this island recognises the possibility of a 32-county economy and of a new Ireland emerging from this as being something that would be very positive. It would be something positive even without Brexit. We need to focus and work on that. The old sectarian divisions that were used as excuses in the past are no longer there in the modern era, which is a good thing. We need to see that the Government is going to step up to the mark and put investment into these communities because that is exactly what is needed.

See this speech in context