Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There has been an extraordinary sense of common purpose in the approach to Brexit for the past four years. I have been privileged to work on the stakeholders' forum. We were briefed extraordinarily well every step of the way by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and everybody provided their input in common endeavour.

That was the approach we took to the two omnibus Bills, which are extraordinary creatures in legislative terms. A hybrid of different enactments has been piloted by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Different sections were taken by different Ministers. We have to continue in common effort. There are many more hurdles to come.

In that vein, if the Opposition is asked, required and expected to be supportive, a little bit of reciprocal respect is expected. What happened today when a Minister accepted an Opposition amendment during a two hour debate, resiled from it at the last minute and called a vote on and defeated it leaves a sour taste in that common purpose. We will put that behind us because there will be an opportunity to address that issue again. It is an important issue for a sector of our economy. It is to be hoped our colleagues in the Seanad will be able to do something about that.

I wish the Minister for Foreign Affairs well in his endeavours. It is to be hoped that the very delicate phase that the trade negotiations are currently at will be overcome and we will have the best possible outcome - it will not be a good outcome – for all of our people as we approach a different relationship with the United Kingdom.

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