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

That is the truth. The Fianna Fáil leader’s position is not surprising given the diatribe he greets us with here on a regular basis. Throwing shapes and offering a running commentary on issues of the day are no substitute for political positions and principles, so I suppose the current leadership of the SDLP and Fianna Fáil are very well matched.

The prospect of a hard border would still be on us, as it is now, even if the institutions were in place. That is a fact. That is why we must not deal in the hypothetical but with the reality before us that we face the prospect of the introduction of a hard border on this island in a matter of weeks if there is no deal.

The Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have dodged this issue time and again. I appreciate fully that they do not want to be seen as the Government that reintroduced a hard border on this island but that is what will happen if nothing is done because that is what the European Union rule book dictates, and we cannot allow that to happen. That is why, in the event that a no-deal situation, the Government must immediately begin preparing for a referendum on Irish unity, preparations it should be undertaking in any event.

The only way to ensure there is never again a hard border on our island is to remove the Border for once and for all. It is the common sense, durable answer to a no-deal scenario and an absolutely essential component of the Government’s contingency planning.

Should we have this evening’s Bill? Yes. Should we have an investment programme and emergency EU funding for vulnerable sectors? Absolutely. Should we have a unity referendum in the event of a no-deal scenario? Most definitely, because the ultimate backstop for citizens in the absence of a withdrawal agreement is the Good Friday Agreement and if a no-deal situation transpires come 29 March, then we need, as per the Good Friday Agreement, a referendum on Irish unity. That must happen and we must now prepare to prepare to plan to end partition and to remove the Border, the dilemma of the Border and the jeopardy of the Border from our island for once and for all.

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