John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome some of the moves that the Government has made to get answers in response to what has unfolded over the past day or so. The Government is using diplomatic channels and going through the ambassador in London. That said, I was alarmed not to hear in the Minister's contribution that the Taoiseach has lifted the phone to talk to No. 10 Downing Street. I find it alarming that we are, essentially, sitting back and allowing this island to be used as some sort of political pawn in the game that Boris Johnson and the Tories are playing with the EU. It is astonishing. Why has the Taoiseach not lifted the phone to Boris Johnson to voice our serious concerns and objections to this attempt to rip up an internationally binding treaty? I appeal to the Minister to use his position to ask the Taoiseach to pick up the phone to Boris Johnson.

Has the phone been lifted to chief EU negotiator, Michel Barnier? Has a conversation been held at that level? If it has been, the Minister might give some details on it.

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