Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In response to Deputy Boyd Barrett's points, peace and stability come first regarding the overall impact of Brexit, and the necessity for the withdrawal treaty and the Northern Ireland protocol to be adhered to and upheld. The EU is solidly and constructively working with Ireland on this. We are part of the one negotiating team that wants to negotiate a future relationship with the UK that is sensible and that results in a free-trade agreement, which is absent of quotas and tariffs and allows businesses to continue as seamlessly as they can. Notwithstanding the impact of Brexit even with what might be called a free-trade-type agreement, nonetheless we want businesses to continue engaging, exporting, importing and avoiding a loss of jobs. That is a key objective.

A no-deal Brexit would be devastating for the economy and jobs in the UK. It would be very challenging to Ireland as well, particularly in the regions and on the western seaboard, and to other member states in the EU. Logic and common sense should dictate a sensible Brexit deal covering the future relationship between the Union and the United Kingdom.

The internal market Bill has undermined people's confidence in the capacity to achieve that. It has eroded trust and it has made it more difficult to proceed. That said, the EU is focused on the end goal and objective, remaining very firm on the necessity of the UK to make amends here and to deal with the issue of the internal market Bill, representing, as it does, an unacceptable breach of its international obligations.

Discussions have taken place at the joint committee between the UK and the European sides. I have had discussions on the issue with the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the Council, Charles Michel. I have spoken briefly with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in the context of a wider discussion with other member states on other issues where we raised Brexit. I will have a further opportunity this week to discuss it with European colleagues.

Europe will not be distracted or in any way blown off course by this latest initiative by the UK. It is very clear on how unacceptable it is and very clear that it breaches agreements previously entered into. Whatever the motivations behind the Bill, it will not succeed in creating any division on the EU side. European Union colleagues are very clear on the importance of the protocol and the importance of having no hard border, as is the UK Government, which still states it does not want a hard border on the island of Ireland and wants seamless trade between North and South. It has equally stated that it wants to implement the withdrawal agreement notwithstanding the reservations as contained in the internal market Bill. Of course, the Bill runs counter to those assertions. I am just giving it to the House as it is.

I do not think it is a question of a diktat from Europe. That is not the spirit of how Europe and Ireland have been working on Brexit from the beginning. A collegial approach has informed the engagement and relationship. Europe has been rock solid. It has shown commendable solidarity with Ireland throughout these issues since the British people voted on Brexit. It is our collective desire to ensure that continues. We will work with Europe in that regard.

On the all-island approach to Covid, there is a memorandum of understanding between the Chief Medical Officer in the Republic and the Chief Medical Officer in Northern Ireland. We have had ongoing contact with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on Covid. Northern Ireland operates to a different jurisdiction from that in which the CMO does. We are endeavouring to harmonise insofar as we possibly can. Deputies will recall that earlier in the summer there were issues with travel where the Northern Ireland Executive was ahead of us in liberalising travel. I think there has been good engagement since then on a range of issues between both CMOs, which will continue.

The British system of testing and tracing is under pressure; we are not. Our testing and tracing system is meeting demand, with 85,000 tests done last week, comprising community testing, hospital testing and serial testing. There have been 13,000 or 14,000 serial tests in meat plants, direct provision centres and nursing homes all with very low levels of positive results so far from the serial testing.

I understand the Scottish authorities contacted us to see if we could help with spare capacity. We were just not in a position to do that. There is global competition for testing kits and the materials for it. Testing in the UK is obviously very challenging. So far, we are managing. We are ahead of them and we can meet demand as it presents itself right now. The HSE is continually looking at ways to improve capacity. We have capacity to do 100,000. Having the capacity to do 100,000 does not mean we have to do 100,000, but I have been assured by the HSE that it has the capacity to do 100,000; we did 85,000 last week

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