Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputy Brady. It has been said many times in this House that we have reached crunch time or the endgame in Brexit negotiations. All of those moments were indeed critical and they were important junctures in Britain's Tory-induced withdrawal from the European Union. However, here we are, in the final days of 2020, on the final straight. While there has been a great deal of pessimism recently, it now seems there is a growing sense of optimism that a trade deal can, in fact, be done. We need a fair, workable deal and it is good that both sides have committed to keep talking.

I have always said that there is no such thing as a good Brexit. We in Sinn Féin said from the start that Ireland is uniquely exposed to the economic and political fallout from Brexit. For this reason, we argued the need for special arrangements for our country in any agreement reached between the EU and Britain. Early on, this perspective was met with some resistance by those in government, but I am happy to say that it gradually became the unified position of the Dáil. I have no doubt that this unified approach played a major part in ensuring that Ireland's position was understood and taken seriously. Special arrangements for Ireland are now encapsulated in the Irish protocol to the withdrawal agreement. Those protections were hard won and I am glad that a guarantee has been cemented as regards the implementation of the protocol.

However, it should also be said that the protocol is far from perfect. It represents the bare-minimum protections we need, namely, a commitment of no return to a hard border and protections for our all-island economy. It should also be pointed out that protections needed for Ireland go far beyond trade and economic concerns. The diminution of citizens' rights along with the preservation and, indeed, strengthening of all-Ireland co-operation are issues that will require further scrutiny as part of the work in upholding and defending the Good Friday Agreement. There is clear political agreement on the Irish protocol. However, the implementation of some measures contained within the protocol is dependent on the realisation of a wider trade agreement. There can be no switching off on behalf of the Government as the pressure now ratchets up.

Progress on the level playing field is welcome, particularly when it comes to protecting against divergence in standards into the future. We could not accept a trade deal that would see the North exposed to a low-wage, deregulated Tory economy. A final trade deal must also be good for the Irish fishing industry. Any loss to the catch will require a renegotiation of how the Common Fisheries Policy, CFP, is applied to Irish waters. A no-deal Brexit would not be a good outcome for anybody, to put it mildly, including Britain. The chance of the ratification of an agreement by the end of this year has truly narrowed and the prospect of a no-deal interregnum in the new year is now very real. The fault here, let it be said, lies squarely with the Tory Government. Boris Johnson wasted months playing games with his Internal Market Bill instead of engaging in substantive, good-faith negotiations. Businesses are on tenterhooks wondering what they will face in January and how best they should prepare as they wait to find out. The very last thing that business and industry needed was another layer of confusion. Support and advice to businesses will have to be intensified over the coming weeks.

We have had four long years of Brexit talks laced with Tory Machiavellianism and disregard for Ireland. We must always remember that the British Government is dragging the people of the North out of the European Union against their democratic wishes. It is clear that the ultimate answer to Brexit is Irish unity and the removal of the problematic British Border on our island. It is absolutely essentially that the Government starts planning for orderly, peaceful and democratic constitutional change and for the reunification of Ireland. That conversation is now under way right across the island and beyond. Everyone who calls this island home needs to be part of that discussion. I know that a referendum on unity will happen in the not too distant future and I, for one, look forward to that moment when people will have their say.

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