Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

As I have said previously, the Achilles heel of the Northern Ireland protocol is that it relies on the UK to implement it. I said that before the UK effectively broke international law. There is a serious risk that we will have a Brexit without a trade deal. That will potentially mean the loss of some 700,000 jobs across the European Union. It is predicted that in the event of there being no trade deal, approximately 35,000 of those job losses will be in Ireland. This is very serious and we are very exposed in the event of this happening. Some 43% of Irish food exports are to the UK. We are looking at potentially €1.5 billion in tariffs being placed on Irish goods exported to the UK. In the worst-case scenario businesses exporting to the UK would be hit by tariffs under WTO rules and those exporting to continental Europe through the UK land bridge would be hit by delays in transporting goods. They could also be hit by the devaluation of sterling which would further wipe out demand for Irish goods in UK markets. They could be further hit by an undercutting in consumer standards in the UK and changes to workers' rights and climate change protections, which would further undercut Irish goods in the UK market. They could also be hit by the undercutting of Irish goods through state aid to UK competitors. We have all of these factors. For Irish businesses exporting to the UK to survive, we need to have a very hands-on approach from the Government and a major support from the European Union.

I will add to the comments made by previous speakers on the situation in Lesbos and the need to take more than 50 people from the Moria refugee camp, where a fire took place recently.

I welcome the Taoiseach's commitment to look at that.

On the situation in Poland and rule of law, the European Commission has published a report citing interference with judicial independence in Poland. The Commission has also cited the increased Government influence over the media in Hungary and a weakening of safeguards against corruption, including a systematic lack of determined action to investigate and prosecute corruption cases involving high level officials or their immediate circle. We have seen political protection of the Orbán Government from some of the members of the European People's Party including, regrettably, Fine Gael, which is utterly unacceptable. It is very important that we defend human rights, democracy and the rights of minorities, including the LBGTQI community around the world but especially within the EU. The existence of so-called LBGTQI free zones in Poland is utterly unacceptable and an affront to our values as Europeans. It is crucial, therefore, that before the €750 billion is distributed as part of the recovery fund the Irish Government insists, at European Council level, that mechanisms to enforce rule of law are put in place and that the veto is withdrawn.

Will the Leas-Cheann Comhairle indicate who is the representative of the Minister?

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