Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In fewer than 100 days, the UK will be outside the EU's Single Market and customs union. I wish to compliment the Minister on his steady hand in bringing the country through these negotiations. As someone from a border county and constituency I know that no one is more fearful than people living in border areas and we appreciate the Minister's tough but steady hand throughout these negotiations.

From 1 January 2021, the way we trade with the UK will be dramatically different. Even if a free trade agreement is concluded between the EU and UK, there will be significant and enduring changes. It is vital that all businesses, regardless of size, focus on their Brexit readiness as things will not be simple and will not stay the same. Being prepared for customs formalities is critical. Regardless of the outcome of the future relationship negotiations, the provisions of the withdrawal agreement and the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland will apply. This protects the peace process and avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland - there is nobody more acutely aware of that than those living in the Border counties - while preserving the integrity of the EU customs union and Single Market and Ireland's place therein. Under the protocol, the EU's customs code and other EU provisions necessary to preserve the integrity of the Single Market will continue to apply in Northern Ireland. This ensures that Northern Ireland will have free and open access to the Single Market.

The United Kingdom Internal Market Bill which gives British Ministers the power to override parts of the withdrawal agreement and the protocol relating to Northern Ireland and Ireland that was agreed to avoid a border on the island of Ireland last year is a complete breach of the aforementioned agreement and of international law. The Bill, in its current form, must be withdrawn. It is welcome that the EU will not allow the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill and other legislation which could undermine the protocol to be used as negotiating currency by the UK.

The all-island economy is important to businesses across the island of Ireland, now more than ever. Protecting that economy has been and will continue to be a major priority for successive Governments. We have a good story to tell about doing business on the island, the benefits of an all-island economy and the current and future business opportunities on the island.

In the past two decades, the developing all-Ireland economy has benefited businesses in terms of improved scale and greater efficiency. This has happened because of the improvements brought about by peace, stability and, of course, invisible borders for goods, services, labour and finance. There is now a high degree of integration of the economies, North and South, including supply chains and trade in intermediate products. North-South co-operation and cross-border trade has grown significantly in the years since the Good Friday Agreement, strengthening and growing prosperity across the island of Ireland, and has supported the development of an all-Ireland economy which both supports and is supported by the peace process.

As somebody who grew up at the height of the Troubles, I am aware that the landscape and streetscape of towns in Cavan, Monaghan and Fermanagh are very different from what they were when we were growing up. That is certainly not something we want to return to. Fundamentally, this is about peace, reconciliation and prosperity.

The protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland is an integral part of the withdrawal agreement and must continue. From the beginning, Ireland's approach has been guided by the guiding principle of securing a deal that works for Northern Ireland and the island as a whole. We found an agreed way to protect the Good Friday Agreement and the gains of the peace process, including the aim of avoiding a hard border, recognising the common travel area and protecting the Single Market and Ireland's place within it. This is what the protocol does and it is vital the protocol is implemented in full and in good faith.

Lakeland Dairies is a major dairy processing co-operative. One of its major plants is in Bailieborough, where I live, and it is a huge employer in the area. It operates in 19 counties across the northern half of the island, including the North of Ireland, processing some 1.8 billion l of milk annually and exporting large volumes of dairy produce to the UK, Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and other international markets worldwide. The group is a leading provider of dairy produce to Ireland's Kerrygold brand.

The dairy industry is one of agri-food sectors with the greatest exposure to the consequences of Brexit, with about one third of North of Ireland milk crossing the Border for processing. The CEO of Lakeland Dairies, Michael Hanley, has stressed the impact of Brexit on business, including extra cost, reductions in profit and business inefficiency. He has also outlined a number of key concerns with regard to the dairy industry, particularly focused on cross-Border supply chains. This is particularly important to Lakeland Dairies as milk processing capacity in Northern Ireland falls short of demand, meaning milk produced in Northern Ireland must be brought south for processing. In this context, Lakeland Dairies stresses its support for the Northern Ireland protocol and its desire to see it implemented in full, including in regard to all-Ireland strategic policy committee, SPC, scheme frameworks. However, these cross-border supply chains mean that, under rules of origin, it becomes a mixed product, meaning it may not qualify for export under foreign trade agreements. Lakeland Dairies considers it imperative that they continue to qualify for these foreign trade agreements. In addition, Lakeland Dairies stresses the need for continued access to market price mitigation schemes and for tariff-free access to Great Britain for Northern Ireland milk processed in Ireland.

To conclude, there are very tough weeks ahead and they will have huge consequences for Ireland. I will be biased and say this is true for the Border counties in particular. I ask that the Minister's work would continue in order to ensure we see invisible and seamless borders, the common travel area and all of the hugely important parts of the Good Friday Agreement kept in their entirety, to ensure that peace and stability continue on this island.

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