Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In many ways, there is a sense of déjà vu about this Bill given that we were here previously, but this time it is real. In seven weeks, Britain will leave and the transition period will be over. This is very much an under-the-bonnet Bill. It deals with the technicalities of our deep relationships and how our people interact.

There are very different things involved. The Bill is being debated in the context of negotiations that are still under way between the EU and the UK and against the backdrop of the infamous internal market Bill, which raises a question about the commitment of the UK Government to upholding any international agreement.

We must acknowledge the work the Minister, his officials and all of the team at the Department of Foreign Affairs have put in to this process over nearly five years to do the best for this country and get us the best possible deal.

In the middle of the pandemic, it has been difficult to find space to lay out to people how things will change for everybody on 1 January. It will become more challenging and more difficult than what we have been accustomed to. That uncertainty is enshrined in the Bill as we cannot give specifics yet because negotiations on access to health care, for example, are still under way. That shows the detail involved.

Given the extent of the changes, it is important that we continue the programme of investment in physical infrastructure. There was a programme of investment in our ports and airports in this year's and last year's budgets. Our airports, which have been laid low by Covid, now face the challenge of Brexit being realised as opposed to being a concept. We need to give guarantees to airports such as Ireland West Airport Knock, which is heavily dependent on traffic to and from the UK. The supports for regional airports announced by the Government yesterday are more than welcome. I acknowledge that but more will be needed and guarantees will be required on the ability of people to travel over and back to the UK.

As we come to the point of, I hope, concluding a deal between the EU and the UK about our future relationship, we need to be very careful about a number of issues, to which I know the Minister is sensitive. The fishing community feels that, once again, it may have to bear the burden of a deal. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, previously had responsibility for the marine and he knows how nervous fishermen are and how angry they feel about previous deals. We have to ensure on this occasion that they are part of this deal and are respected because they will lose out most in the event of a no-deal Brexit or a no-deal relationship.

The agricultural community is dependent on access to the UK market. When one reads reports in today's media of warehouse space being bought in Dublin one gets a sense of the strength of the commercial arrangement. However, fresh beef cannot keep if it is stored in a warehouse for months. It is a precious and perishable product. Blockages to transporting it over and back to Britain must be kept to a minimum.

We often forget that the UK is an important land bridge to Europe, not only for our food industry but many other industries. I welcome the extra ferries that have been put in place, but we need to see investment in our ports and, more particularly, in direct services to the Continent so that people know the supply chain will not be badly affected.

There is an issue with VAT for non-EU residents. We have an important scheme in place, which was initially designed for US tourism but has expanded into retail. The withdrawal of the UK and Northern Ireland from the EU will challenge this scheme. We have to acknowledge the damage that has been done to the retail industry and in tourism areas over the past nine months and come up with a compromise on the provisions proposed for VAT.

In the next few weeks, the Minister will have to continue the work of informing people that Brexit is happening. It is difficult to break through with this message as we move through this phase of Covid. As we approach Christmas, people tend to switch off news and media. However, businesses, citizens, communities and families need to know that on 1 January things will be different.

I wish the Minister well as part of the EU effort to get a proper agreement with the UK on access. It is important to acknowledge the election of Joe Biden, his comments the internal market Bill and his awareness of and support for all of the elements of the Good Friday Agreement. Hopefully, that sends a strong message to negotiators in Downing Street that the Good Friday Agreement has more friends in court and that they need to be cognisant of the agreement as they enter the final phase.

As I said, we have been here before but it is now real. The decisions taken in the coming days on the EU-UK agreement and the various aspects of this legislation that have yet to be implemented, for example, in healthcare, will impact on citizens for many years to come.

The Minister will do everything to ensure that we get the best possible deal. I ask that he also ensure that this is a deal which, in the first instance, protects and, in the second, enhances all sections of our society such that no one section is going to feel it is carrying the burden of a European deal.

See this speech in context