Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If media coverage is anything to go by, many people would be forgiven for thinking that Brexit has gone away since the outbreak of Covid-19. If anything, Covid-19 has proven that different governmental responses can have a profound impact on how these two islands connect, trade, operate, and indeed, survive.

Some 40% of retail stores in Dublin city belong to UK retail chains. Workers employed in these companies are at risk of cheaper operations and lower employment standards in the UK. Of course, both we and the EU must protect our Single Market and its standards. If the UK is allowed to pitch itself as a low-tax, low-wage economy with access to the Single Market, Irish workers will be in trouble. We saw the different governmental responses to Debenhams workers with regard to Covid-19. UK stores in some cases remained open but Irish stores closed. We know that, in many ways, Debenhams used Covid-19 as an excuse to lay off its workers. I urge the Government to continue its pressure on Debenhams and its shareholders to ensure workers are treated fairly.

As Deputy Haughey said, Fianna Fáil believes the UK should extend the transition period but it seems unwilling to do so. If there is no extension, are we ready? We cannot tolerate a hard border under any circumstances but equally, we cannot tolerate the dilution of the rights of workers and the industries they work in. The Government must, and I pay credit to it for doing it, continue to hold the UK accountable for the promises it made in the withdrawal agreement, not least because of the Irish citizens in counties Tyrone, Fermanagh, Armagh, Down, Antrim and Derry.

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