Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be sharing time with Deputies Michael Collins and Danny Healy-Rae. The Tánaiste has been told repeatedly by speakers in this debate that there are only 90 days left before the end of the transition period. That is not a long time where international and European relations and negotiations are concerned.

I want to salute the work of the late Fr. Alec Reid and Dr. Martin Mansergh, two Tipperary men, and the work that many people did, including former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, in the establishment of the Good Friday Agreement. That must be sacrosanct. We have seen in recent weeks how the British Government has driven a coach and four right through the agreement. It is time that we stopped pussy-footing around, ended niceties and got down to real business. Otherwise, we are going to be caught in a fire that we cannot put out.

We will have no export channels. Without proper connectivity to Europe, we are in big, deep trouble. The Tánaiste has been told that clearly on a number of occasions by Deputy Verona Murphy. She understands business. She is in the haulage business and knows it inside out. The farmers, agricultural industry and its employees will be affected. Milk moves back and forth across the Border. I know the Border area well and the devastation to it will be unbelievable if we do not do something.

The Government has been doing crisis management but now is the time for cool, calm and direct leadership. Now is the time to call in chips from Europe. We have been good European boys for decades and now is the time we need assistance. We did not get a good indication in the most recent negotiations with Brussels. Ireland is the fifth largest net contributor to the European Union. We cannot afford that with what is happening with our nearest neighbour. We have had relations and traded with the UK for centuries and it will be gone, all of a sudden, come 1 January.

The Government came back from Brussels with a backstop some years ago. Where is it now? There have been a lot of backstops and full stops. We are at a dead stop now and it is time that the Government sat up, took note and ensured there are proper negotiations and support from Europe. It is not sufficient to have niceties. There is an unpredictable Prime Minister and Britain is fighting Covid. There are major issues. The time for talking is over.

I referred to jobs in the agricultural industry. The IFA, ICMSA and all of the farming organisations are perilously worried about the future of our exports and our situation in respect of agriculture. It is our primary industry and we need to protect it. The Minister of State needs to do something more to protect us than what is happening now. Thousands of jobs will be affected. The haulage industry will be totally decimated if we do not do something. I appeal to the Minister of State to wake up, smell the coffee and get real negotiations going.

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