David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----and we do not know how it will conclude or whether through a series of indicative votes we will get any clarity to replace the chaos we have seen over recent years. There is a withdrawal agreement in place and there is still a possibility that Theresa May will put it to the House of Commons at some stage and get it passed, but it is also possible that she will not. If she does not and through a series of indicative votes there is some proposition relating to a softer Brexit, a customs arrangement, a Norway plus arrangement or the like, how much clarity on that will be necessary, from the Taoiseach's understanding of the European Union's perspective, to enable a long extension to occur? What we must avoid is a further nine months, year or two years of more uncertainty, more game playing and more unreasonable and unworkable solutions being put on the table by politicians in Britain. We must get to a point where businesses, farmers and citizens on the island of Ireland and across the European Union have some certainty about what is going to happen.

The Taoiseach said that his comments in the past regarding a no-deal scenario and what would happen at the Border have been taken out of context by politicians in Westminster. Perhaps he will take this opportunity to make it clear that if there is a hard crash, it will be a disaster for the Border and for Ireland and that while some solution will have to be put in place through a negotiation between the British Government and the European Union, it would fall far short of the protections the backstop currently provides.

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