Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the opportunity to make a few remarks on the, once again, crucial European Council meeting. I will limit my remarks to just two aspects of the upcoming Council meeting because there are so many other aspects such as the rule of law in certain parts of central and eastern Europe or in our near neighbourhood that merit discussion but eight minutes is quite limited.

The first issue is topical. It got quite a bit of attention earlier today during Leaders’ Questions. That is the expected roll-out of a Covid-19 vaccine. To be honest, I welcome the news that the United Kingdom and, in particular, our cousins up North are soon to be rolling out a vaccine. One thing is quite clear: if it was not for Ireland’s continued membership of the European Union, we would not have the chance of getting access to the millions of vaccines that have been bought by the European Commission for all 27 member states. This is going to be a crucial part of the upcoming Council meeting. My question to the Minister and to the Taoiseach, in his absence, is how this is going to be co-ordinated. How will the Government incorporate the overall European plan to ensure that the vast majority of Irish people get the vaccine in a speedy and safe manner? I give credit to the researchers in the various companies who have produced the vaccines and the absolute wonder of science that the vaccines have been developed in such a period. It is a testament to the great amount of work being done. Some of the companies involved are located on this island as well. Throughout this horrendous Covid-19 pandemic, Professor Luke O’Neill of Trinity College Dublin has always referred to the fact that the cavalry is coming. The cavalry is on the brow of the hill. It is about to come.

Let us hope 2021 will be a far better year than 2020 in so many regards but particularly when it comes to public health.

I have a concern relating to some of the fake news, to be honest, that we have seen recently. There has been fake news about vaccines for years and many people have questioned them incorrectly, by spreading conspiracy theories around the Internet, WhatsApp groups and elsewhere. This is a wholly irresponsible act and we must ensure every single Oireachtas Member steps up to the plate to embrace the vaccine and encourage public take-up.

This also extends to our friends in the UK, leading me to further Brexit matters. Over recent months many of us were taken by the decision made by some social media companies, particularly Twitter, to label posts that may be misleading or irresponsible. Perhaps we have seen that today with the vast number of MPs and Cabinet ministers in the United Kingdom claiming they are able to roll out a vaccine there due to Brexit. It is absolute nonsense that must be called out and corrected. We know the UK has not left the European Union yet and the European Medicines Agency is ensuring the vaccine can be rolled out in the UK. It is something that must also be brought into the debate about Brexit and the discussions as they will follow in the coming days.

I sincerely hope that following the Minister of State's General Affairs Council meeting this week and leading into the European Council meeting, we will be discussing a deal. As Deputy Crowe and others so eloquently put it, we have no doubt this will be an extremely narrow deal. Many of the issues will be a major concern in all our constituencies, and Deputy Mac Lochlainn mentioned the very real concern to fishing communities not just in Donegal but across our island, so there is a need to ensure fishing access is maintained.

Any deal achieved should be fair and equitable because as I have said a million times at this stage, there is no such thing as a good Brexit, whether it is for Ireland, the UK or the European Union. That is why whatever deal can be salvaged at this point should be fair. We must ensure the bare bones of that thin deal protects Irish and European interests.

My concern goes beyond this into whether we are likely to get a deal. Like other speakers, I am extremely concerned today by the utterances from the British Prime Minister's spokespersons that the British Internal Market Bill will be returned to Westminster with amendments next week and a new finance and taxation Bill is to come before the House of Commons which will include measures similar to the fifth section of the Internal Market Bill that, quite simply, ran contrary to the withdrawal agreement. As Mr. Michel Barnier said today, any actions by the British Government through the Internal Market Bill, despite amendments based on the very sensible decisions of the House of Lords in recent weeks, or through the finance Bill that runs a cart and horses through the withdrawal agreement would not be acceptable.

There is no way an international agreement can be concluded with a body that a year afterwards would absolutely rip apart an existing international agreement. What does it say about the British Government when it makes claims about China's responsibility to Hong Kong or to the incoming American President?

I will conclude on this point. The Minister of State and the Taoiseach have my very best wishes for the upcoming Council. I have no doubt every Member of this Oireachtas will continue to work steadily to ensure this country is looked after as well as possible in what will be an extremely difficult period.

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