Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Irish Government is co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement. The full implementation and effective operation of the Good Friday Agreement and all subsequent agreements should be the utmost priority of this Government. We have all benefited from the peaceful solution offered by the Good Friday Agreement. This needs to be protected.

Customs infrastructure on the island of Ireland will jeopardise this peace. Peace needs to be protected at all costs. I am asking that this Government does precisely that.

The Irish protocol reflects in a small way the wishes of the majority in the Six Counties to remain part of the EU. We need to ensure that all people on this island have the option of availing of benefits of EU membership. The ultimate solution to a no-deal Brexit is to start a conversation of uniting Ireland. We need the Government to convey the wishes of the people to the British Secretary of State to the effect it is time to start the process of preparing for a unity referendum. There needs to be informed discussions on how reunification will affect the lives of all citizens on this island.

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Irish unity makes sense not only from an economic point of view but also from an agricultural one, by treating the island of Ireland as one market. It certainly makes sense from a biosecurity point of view, particularly in light of the recent emergence of Covid-19.

Britain has left the European Union, as is its right. We need to defend the rights of Irish citizens living in the North, who have nobody to advocate for them. The Government needs to ensure their voice is heard at the highest level. We also need to ensure that a fair deal is agreed to between Britain and the EU so that farming families have unimpeded access to larger markets. I ask the Minister to look after this.

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