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

I want to ask the Taoiseach about Brexit. The Tánaiste has described a hard Brexit as an ugly outcome and he is right. We are all very well aware of the potential catastrophe that could visit our island in such a scenario. We all agree that we cannot countenance an economic border on the island, that there can be no hardening of the Border and that the Good Friday Agreement must be protected, with our progress and peace. Therefore, I am very troubled to hear that the Tánaiste would even countenance the idea of checks on goods from the North to the South as it would fly in the face of our collective objectives. I put the following direct question to the Taoiseach and would appreciate a very direct answer. In the event that there is a crash, with no withdrawal agreement and no backstop, how will the Government ensure there is no economic border, no damage to the Good Friday Agreement and no damage to the progress we have made in the past 20 years?

See this speech in context