Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be sharing time with Deputy O'Connor. We will take six and a half minutes each. We are repeating our combination of last night.

The Minister and I have been following Brexit at a level far beyond anything I ever could have dreamed of for quite some time. It is not an understatement to say that the past fortnight has been the worst period of this process, even including the period prior to the referendum. The tabling of the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill 2019-21 and the specific amendments thereto that run a cart and horses through the Irish protocol of the withdrawal agreement were extremely disappointing and soured the mood for a period. I know the Minister has engaged with his counterparts in the UK and, more importantly, across the EU, including the former Commissioner, Mr. Barnier, who is the EU's negotiator.

It needs to be repeated that this Bill, in its current form, remains completely unacceptable. It violates a binding international agreement and the responsibilities of the British and Irish Governments and of the entire EU remain clear under that withdrawal agreement. When we talk about that withdrawal agreement and this Internal Market Bill, what does all this say about the UK and the world and about the ability of a great country like the UK to honour its agreements and to meet the rule of law internationally? I do not say that glibly. The UK has just negotiated a trade agreement with Japan modelled on the world's largest existing trade agreement, the European partnership agreement between Japan and the EU. This agreement has been negotiated and agreed but has it been ratified? Why ratify an agreement with a country if that country is prepared to break that agreement only months later?

If I have said it once, I have said it a million times; there is no such thing as a good Brexit. There is no good Brexit for Ireland, for the EU or, particularly, for the UK. That is why it behoves everyone, including our negotiator, Michel Barnier, and Lord Frost, to negotiate to the very last minute and to continue to negotiate. A deal is absolutely vital for all concerned. A no-deal Brexit would be economically devastating for Ireland and for the UK.

We need to salvage our relationship with the UK from this process. I have no problem castigating the British Government when it has gone wrong. I sometimes get in a little bit of trouble for doing so. I also have no problem making sure it is held to account and nor does the Minister. We cannot, however, burn bridges. It is disappointing to hear people in this Chamber say this afternoon that one cannot touch or trust the British. They may have been talking specifically about the occurrences-----

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