Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, my colleague, Deputy Cullinane, stated that the Bill is the minimum needed in terms of Brexit planning. It is certainly minimalist in the area of transport. I have concerns that it will not provide for some of the potential consequences of a no-deal Brexit. Having raised matters relating to Brexit with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, I am not confident all of the issues relating to transport have been addressed. As a Deputy for County Louth, a Border county, I am only too aware of the potential effects of Brexit for people in Ireland. I welcome that provision is made in the Bill to ensure access to health and educational services will continue and that there are provisions regarding the all-Ireland economy and energy requirements. The Bill is proof of how many problems will be thrown up if Britain crashes out of the EU next month.

Having two jurisdictions on this island does not work and never has. It makes even less sense in the context of Brexit. Brexit has shown how ineffective partition has been. It has failed and it is time to plan for reunification. Brexit has reminded us how little regard Britain has for Ireland and how disastrous the DUP-Conservative coalition is for the people of the North. The infrastructure for unity exists under the Good Friday Agreement. The Government should stop resisting this eventuality and commence planning for it.

The Bill puts in place a legal framework in this State to maintain the cross-Border access currently facilitated by the common travel area. It will preserve the status quo. In a transport context, the Bill deals with such access via cross-Border bus services. It confers additional powers on the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the National Transport Authority, which would be the regulator.That seems fine to me. Unfortunately, along with a short section on licences for marine pilots, that is the sum total of the provision in respect of transport in the Bill.

The Sinn Féin Brexit plan published a few weeks ago outlined the investment needs of the State ahead of Brexit. It details how Sinn Féin would invest in capital infrastructure such as our ports, roads and railways and in supporting business and ensuring commercial exporters are properly protected. We also outline how we would go about regional development in areas such as the Border counties which could suffer enormous consequences as a result of Brexit, as all Members know. The Government does not recognise the need to invest. I have not heard any reference to the need to invest in our ports. Such investment obviously will be required to facilitate trade in the event of a hard or no-deal Brexit. In December, it was reported that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport had not liaised with Dublin Port on Brexit and that it requested sight of its hard Brexit contingency plan only in November. That is quite shocking.

I have raised the issue of insurance green cards for motorists with the Minister, Deputy Ross, on several occasions. He told me he had communicated with the insurance industry and his British counterpart on the matter. However, in response to an oral question I tabled the following week, he confirmed that he had not done so. He has approached Brexit in the same way he approaches the rest of his brief - with a hands-off approach that assumes it is somebody else's responsibility. This is his responsibility. We need to prepare for Brexit. It is his job to plan for investment to secure our ports and harbours and work with all stakeholders, including the insurance industry, aviation, hauliers, public transport and the tourism industry. On licences and insurance green cards, I intend to table an amendment on Committee Stage that will give the Minister the power to make arrangements to ensure motorists are not limited in any way in their cross-Border journeys post Brexit.I listened to the Minister's contribution on the Bill in which he referred to the need for people who live here and hold British or Northern Irish driving licences to change those licences to Irish ones by 29 March. Presumably, there will be a significant increase in people seeking to change their licences and, therefore, we need to ensure there are sufficient resources and staffing in order to avoid delays. I hope that will be provided for.

I wish to raise certain matters which have yet to be addressed by the Government. As the sections of the Bill dealing with transport are so scant, we need assurances that these matters are being dealt with. Does the Government intend to invest in ports across the State? That is vital to ensure the entire island retains connectivity with Europe in the case of a hard or no-deal Brexit. Given the uncertainty in Britain, we must ensure we can trade directly with EU countries without having to rely on Britain. That can only happen with support and investment by the State. Has the Government done anything to address capacity at our ports? What has been done in regard to a situation whereby the landbridge is not available or feasible and shipping traffic increases? Clarity is also required in regard to whether additional resources will be in place to deal with increasing customs checks.

The legislation, like the Government's plan, is scant and light in detail. However, as it is necessary and we are very close to the wire, Sinn Féin will support it. We will table amendments to the Bill. I hope the Government will address the additional matters I have raised.

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