Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

I will try to get through three questions and answers. It is clear from the approach of the Tory Government that the question of a hard border on the island of Ireland is again coming into focus. Boris Johnson, as has been referred to, has ruled out the idea of an extension of the transition period, which means that this can be posed sooner rather than later. It will be posed at the end of the year. In the past, the European Commission has been very clear in saying that a no-deal Brexit would mean a hard border on the island of Ireland.

That would be a disaster in terms of the interests of ordinary, working class people on both sides of that border economically and with the potential for the rise of sectarianism. It is also clear that it is the European Commission that may demand the Irish Government impose a hard border to defend the Single Market and that it would be up to an Irish Government to impose that border and to allocate people and resources to enforce it. Ultimately there is a decision to be made, potentially in that negative scenario, by an Irish Government. If the Tánaiste is still responsible for Brexit at that point in time would he go along with such a request from the European Commission and impose a hard border or would the Tánaiste refuse to do so?

See this speech in context