Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I fully understand the importance of the backstop. It remains the bottom line in terms of the very minimum that is needed to protect our economic interests and avoid a hard Border on the island of Ireland. As 31 October approaches and pressure mounts, we ask that the Government does not blink in the face of Tory intransigence and the recklessness of Boris Johnson's Government but we also need to be clear there can be no return to a hard Border. There is consensus in the House on that. There can be no more division on the island. As for the idea of having customs checks, there is concern about a return to customs checks at the Border.

The Tánaiste mentioned the Good Friday Agreement: it is the Irish people's agreement and an international agreement passed by huge majorities. We understand the importance the European Commission places on protecting the Single Market but that cannot come at any cost or at the cost of the Good Friday Agreement.

Our job is not to negotiate the imposition of a Border on the island of Ireland. We need to agree on that. That should not be our job with respect to the European Commission. It is our job to work with our European partners at all costs to prevent this disastrous scenario emerging for the future of peace on this island.

I have a few questions. The Irish people will not accept any return to or a hardening of the Border on the island of Ireland as a result of that but does the European Commission and our European partners get that?

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