Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

It has been said that the Achilles heel of the Northern Ireland protocol is that it is to be implemented by the UK. That is one of its key weaknesses. On this issue, in the paper the UK has published it has sought to revise the text already agreed in respect of the Northern Ireland protocol. It has changed the language used so that instead of referring to goods which are "at risk" of entering the EU market it refers to goods that are at "a genuine and substantial risk" of doing so. That is a very significant change. Goods which are at risk of entering the EU Single Market through Ireland can be very broadly defined and effectively include everything except finished consumer goods, which one can be sure will go to a supermarket in Northern Ireland. Goods which pose a genuine and substantial risk of doing so means something very different. The UK is therefore seeking to revise the text. Does the Minister of State agree that there can be no dilution of the protocol which has already been agreed? Is the new wording used by the UK, which seeks to revise the text already agreed in respect of the Northern Ireland protocol from "risk" to "genuine and substantial risk", acceptable to the Irish Government? Is this attempt to reword the protocol already agreed acceptable? How can we be 100% confident that the protocol will hold in the event of a no-deal Brexit given the UK's attempts to redefine it?

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