Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Coming from a Border area, I know more than most the devastating effects a hard border is going to have. I remember the last time we had a so-called hard border and, believe me, it is not what anybody wants but I fear it is where we are heading. I am also realistic and we need to prepare now for a hard border that is coming in less than three months time. This is the worrying side of all of this. We are only three months away from going back to a hard border on the island of Ireland. I have consistently warned the Minister, Deputy Coveney, about the real prospect of a hard border, and on each occasion I was told that a deal for the island of Ireland was secured and that we had nothing to worry about.

I only wish that was true today. We have to face the fact that a hard border will be in place in fewer than three months and we will have to deal with it. Even if a deal is reached with the UK Government at the last minute, can anyone still trust it?

There are so many unanswered questions for the people on the ground, particularly for those who have to cross the Border every day for either work or personal reasons. It is true that we did not vote for Brexit. It is also true that the North did not vote for it but the reality is that it is coming. I speak with people along the Border every day and these are some of the questions they ask me. Is there going to be a hard border? Will there be customs checks at the Border? How will cross-Border workers be affected? How will standards be maintained and even implemented? How will farmers operate along the Border? Will mobile telephone roaming charges be reintroduced? Will security services on each side of the Border still have the same level of co-operation? Will the North-South bodies remain? Will students who cross the Border to go to school or college be affected? These are just a small example of the many questions I am asked every day.

The truth is that none of us have any real answers to these questions because nobody knows. We can say the plans are in place but what are they? How are businesses supposed to know what is happening when the Government is not even sure what is happening? This is too serious a matter to leave to the last minute.

We need action and plans now. I appreciate the difficulty of negotiating with the UK Government and the fact it seems to make it up as it goes along. We cannot allow that to stop us planning for the worst-case scenario, however. For example, today it was reported that Dublin Port is behind its plans for Brexit in that an inspection facility is needed but has not yet been delivered. We are fewer than three months away from Brexit and our main port is behind in its plans. How are hauliers supposed to have confidence in the system when they see this reported so close to the deadline? Why is Dublin Port behind in its plans? This is not acceptable.

Hauliers will also read in today's newspapers that Irish operators will face significant delays and blockages at UK ports come 1 January. Can the Minister imagine owning a haulage company business and reading this with less than three months to go to Brexit? We cannot sleepwalk into this. We must take the lead now and start the process of implementing measures to deal with a hard Brexit.

The Minister and his colleagues do not like to be told bad news. Coming from a business background, I know that we have to deal with what is in front of us, namely, a hard border. In business, people have to deal with difficult situations and make difficult decisions every day of the week. All businesses are looking only for the truth. Businesses are resilient and will deal with any situation to find solutions. To find solutions, however, they need to know what is coming down the track.

The Government website on Brexit states, "When the transition period ends, Brexit is likely to affect how one's business operates". It advises businesses to review their supply chains, understand the rules for importing and exporting to the UK, review all the regulations, licences and certification requirements. With all due respect, this is stating the obvious. This is not real or practical advice. The bottom line is that businesses are still in the dark when it comes to Brexit. What is happening is quite simple. We have gone from having a backstop arrangement to a technical solution to a border down the Irish Sea to a hard border on the island of Ireland, with nobody seeming to know what is happening. This is simply not good enough.

In the event of a no-deal Brexit, will third level students who attend college across the Border have the same rights and entitlements as of now? Will the current rules for cross-Border healthcare arrangements stay in place? Will the tax treatment for cross-Border workers remain the same? Will there be customs and security checks at Border crossings? Will driver licences and motor insurance remain the same after Brexit? Will North-South co-operation in respect of security be affected?

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