Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Government is co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement and it is about time it took that role seriously. The full implementation of that agreement and subsequent agreements needs to be prioritised by the Government. Commitments such as the holding of a public inquiry into the death of Pat Finucane must be delivered upon. The Irish protocol must be defended at all costs. There are well over 700,000 people with Irish passports living in the North and there were almost 100,000 first-time applicants for a passport in 2019. We cannot stand idly by as those people are used as human shields in a staring competition between Britain and the EU to see who blinks first. We need to ensure their voices are heard and their interests are protected.

The majority of people in the North voted to stay in the European Union and their wishes must be respected. The people living in the Six Counties no longer have a voice in Europe but I and other Sinn Féin Deputies will continue to represent their views. Brexit will have a significant effect on them. On 1 January 2021, there will be just seven weeks' supply available of the chemicals used for the purification of the public water system. Due to their volatile nature, they cannot be stockpiled. Vital medicines cannot be stockpiled, due to the relatively short expiry date on some of them, particularly biologic drugs administered by injection. We need to provide an alternative to the European health insurance card and ensure a reciprocal arrangement is in place for our mutual benefit.

Britain is leaving the EU and we must ensure the transition is as seamless as possible. In particular, we must avoid border infrastructure on the island of Ireland. For more than 20 years, we have seen the benefits that peace has brought. A generation has grown up without the shadow of conflict hanging over it. I have attended several community-led meetings along the now invisible Border that were organised by Border Communities Against Brexit. The mood of people living in Border areas was clear at that meeting when it came to the prospect of Border checks. Any infrastructure that is installed for that purpose will be removed by local people. They will not tolerate it and nor should we.

With just over 50 days to go, there are considerable uncertainties around Britain's exit from the EU. Sterling volatility will have a massive effect on our exporters and the cost of goods in our shops will rise if tariffs are imposed. We are uniquely exposed to Brexit. Approximately 15% of Irish goods and services exports go to the UK. In the agri-food sector, some 40% of exports are destined for the UK. We need to ensure that a fair deal is agreed between Britain and the EU that will allow farming families unimpeded access to larger markets. Arrangements must be put in place for the two thirds of Irish exporters who make use of the UK land bridge to access continental markets. The Covid pandemic and Brexit have really shown the negative effect the Border has on all the inhabitants of this island. Now is the time to talk about a referendum on Irish unity. Unity is coming, whether some like it or not, and we need to prepare for it.

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