Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Bill. This is a comprehensive Bill and, as previous speakers stated, it is about working together for the goodness of this island as a while. To be honest, it is probably inevitable that we are heading for a united Ireland at some stage, despite what has been touted in the media at times. I agree with many of the speakers who indicated that protection of the Good Friday Agreement is paramount. Going through some of the issues in the Bill, many speakers have raised the matter that health will be a big issue and a concern for anybody in this country.

A matter that is particularly close to my hear is that of disability. I had the opportunity a year and a half ago to visit the Middletown Centre for Autism in Armagh. It is ironic that I am from Midleton and that place is Middletown. That is an all-Ireland specialist disability service that is supported by the Department of Education and the UK Department for Education. I noticed that under the arrangements relating to the health service in the Bill, there is a commitment to continuing that so I will pick the positives out of this today.

I have also listened to what has been said by those in the drinks and hospitality sector. These people are very worried and more engagement has to be maintained with the various stakeholders.

I have to put on the record that our near neighbours across the water and the UK Prime Minister, Mr. Johnson, have not been productive or forward going on this. I appeal to the European Union that when the chips are down it will not do what the old European Economic Community, EEC, did to some members of our Defence Forces, in particular, at the siege of Jadotville. The EEC gave us all the backing in that instance and promised us everything but when the Irish people went out there and gave their full graft, they did not get any support.

I also want to talk about the massive cross-Border workforce of 30,000 people. This issue places an onus on all of us in the House. It is about all of us having a genuine consensus to support this. Let us not see any form of a hard border after Brexit.

I have looked at the Harbours Act 2015. My constituency stretches from Youghal all the way to Cobh. The Port of Cork is busy and we have our own Naval Service base there as well as ferries coming in and out. Many people in Cobh are concerned about how tourism will be affected after the Brexit deadline. I mention the fishing industry and I wonder what will happen there. It is about working together on getting a strong agreement of which we can all be proud and in respect of which we can say that we stood our ground and did what we had to do for our nation and our people.

I appeal to the Government not to be found wanting. Let us all do our best. We will work with the Government on whatever is coming. I welcome the initiative of the debate. It is long overdue. In the coming weeks we will hopefully be sitting here again, maybe after Christmas, and saying that we will get down to the crux of this and get things right.

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