Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As Chairman of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs, I wish to acknowledge the work that has been done by the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, Ministers, the Minister of State included, and officials, who have been working diligently over the past three and a half years to ensure that Ireland's interests are a constant priority in the European Union's negotiations with the UK as a departing member. I also appreciate that during this time the Minister of State for European Union Affairs and the officials in her Department have taken the time to keep the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs regularly updated on the Brexit negotiations and preparedness. She knows I always acknowledge that. We know that a lot of hard work has been done on Brexit preparedness and contingency planning. In February, this House came together to ensure that the Brexit omnibus Bill was passed as quickly as possible. Everyone put their shoulders to the wheel and ensured we had at least the bare minimum of legislation ready, whatever way Brexit happens.

As Chairman of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs, I have been following the Brexit process since the vote in 2016. Over the past three years my committee colleagues and I have met many people from across Europe, both formally and informally, and have had many discussions on Brexit. We have met officials from the EU institutions; MEPs, including Guy Verhofstadt; Michel Barnier; and members of the Article 50 task force. We have met parliamentarians from the UK, including Members of the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. Tomorrow the House of Commons's Exiting the European Union Committee is expected here again. All these discussions are important. We have also had the opportunity to engage with our colleagues from other European national parliaments, both at COSAC and during delegation visits to Ireland. We have been honoured to meet visiting delegations from Portugal, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Denmark and Austria, all of whom came to Ireland to engage, listen, ask questions and find out about how Brexit will impact the island of Ireland. They were all clear, having visited, on the importance of safeguarding the peace process and avoiding physical checks of any sort on this island.

What I have learned from three years working on the Brexit issue with such a wide range of people is that we have the support and solidarity of our EU neighbours. The European institutions and the EU 26 have championed Ireland the whole way. I am confident that this will continue into the tenure of the new Commission President and the new session of the European Parliament. I rose in this House last November to express my support for the draft withdrawal agreement, which at that stage had just been published. I spoke then about the importance of the backstop. My views on Brexit have not changed since. As I have said probably 1,000 times at this stage, there is no such thing as a good Brexit - not for Ireland, not for Europe and not for the UK. However, we must move forward, make our preparations and focus on the future. This is now becoming urgent. Last November I was optimistic that a withdrawal agreement had been sorted. It seemed that the UK and the EU were on the same page and that there would be an orderly exit on 29 March. That was the path laid out. It was only a matter of getting the agreement through the British and European Parliaments.

It is hard to believe that that was nearly a year ago. Since last November we have seen the turmoil and all the antics of the Parliament across the water. The 29 March deadline came and went. The European Council agreed an extension for six months to allow the UK to prepare. Now the focus is on 31 October, which is only six weeks away. The only thing the House of Commons can get a majority for is avoiding a no-deal Brexit. It knows what it does not want but not what it does want. As parliamentarians, it is important for us to watch but it is not a productive way of doing business. It is time to move things on and to come up with solutions. It is also time to make sure we are now fully prepared if we end up with a crash-out Brexit on Hallowe'en night. We understand that negotiations between the EU and the UK are ongoing, with the British Prime Minister saying his aim is to agree a withdrawal deal at the European Council on 17 and 18 October. However, Michel Barnier said last week he was not optimistic that a deal could be done by the end of next month. The British Prime Minister has said leaving the EU with a deal is a priority, but he is also determined to leave at the end of October no matter what, despite being mandated by the UK Parliament to agree a deal or seek an extension by 19 October. A no-deal Brexit would be disastrous for everyone. We know this. There are no benefits to a no-deal Brexit for anyone, here, in Europe or in the UK. I really hope a solution can be found which avoids a hard border, maintains the integrity of the Single Market, protects the interests of everyone on the island of Ireland and is agreeable to both sides. It is a big ask and there is not much time, but it is essential.

The events of the coming weeks will have an effect on the children and the grandchildren of today and the future generations in Ireland. I acknowledge officials in all the various Departments who are carrying out in a very determined way the political and background work to try to ensure we minimise the negative effects we will have here. It is so important for the future of all of us, but most importantly for the children and the grandchildren of the future, that we do everything we can to make sure there is an orderly Brexit, and that we try to calm the possible negative effects for all of us.

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