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

I move amendment No. 1:

To insert the following after “of a no deal scenario”: “notes that:

— the outcome of the Brexit trade deal amounts to a 15 per cent overall cut to the quota of Irish fishers and a much higher percentage cut for some quota species; and

— the proposed compensatory financial assistance on offer is nowhere near the levels of financial loss to Irish fishers that will arise from this deal; and

calls on the Government to urgently engage with the European Commission and their EU member state counterparts to renegotiate the Common Fisheries Policy to ensure a fair and sustainable allocation of fishing quota to the affected Irish fishers from the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone and other waters.”

The completion on Christmas Eve of the EU-Britain trade and co-operation agreement was the culmination of four years of intense, difficult and extremely fraught negotiations. It is very important to acknowledge the efforts of all concerned, particularly those in the public and civil service, and I offer a special commendation to Michel Barnier and his team for their immense work and dedication over this period. I have always said there is no such thing as a good Brexit for Ireland and that the achievement of a trade agreement was critically important for the future of our island. Clearly, an agreement is better than a crash Brexit. It is regrettable, however, that Boris Johnson and his negotiators ensured that the outcome is still a hard Tory Brexit that will cause serious problems for workers, business and trade in Ireland and in Britain. The outcome reflects the approach taken by the Tory Government since the Brexit referendum of 2016, one characterised mostly by intransigence, belligerence and cynical brinkmanship and game-playing.

Of course, Ireland, North and South, is uniquely exposed to the very real threats and challenges that arise as a result of the route taken by the British Government. The full implementation of the Irish protocol is all-important as it is clear that the agreement marks the beginning of a new trading relationship built on permanent negotiation, dispute and recrimination. These bottom-line safeguards ensure that there is no hardening of the border, that the Good Friday Agreement is prioritised and that our all-Ireland economy is protected. These special arrangements for Ireland were hard-won through tireless work with our allies in Europe and America and they cannot be eroded by post-agreement trading and political frictions.

As the bluster has now died down, the realities of the hard Tory Brexit have already become all too apparent. Businesses and traders across Ireland are now being exposed to incredible levels of disruption and some confusion. We see disruptions to supply chains that have been built over decades. This was not an inevitable outcome of Britain leaving the EU. This is a result of the choices made by the Tory Government, including its refusal to remain in the customs union, its failure to negotiate sanitary and phytosanitary, SPS, equivalences and its rejection of co-ordination with the EU. These choices have impaired businesses on both sides of the Irish Sea. Irish supply chains have also been impeded by the British Government's failure to provide sufficient information and preparation concerning post-Brexit arrangements to its traders. The complexities regarding new paperwork and IT systems have also added to the problems faced by businesses. It is of the utmost importance that the Government brings all these groups together to identify the main difficulties and to put solutions in place before the current public health restrictions are relaxed and trade naturally increases.

There are also massive challenges to trade as a result of the North not being counted as EU-origin for the purposes of EU trade agreements with other countries. This is something to which the Irish Government must seek a common-sense solution through proactive engagement with our EU partners. We must work to have the North included by the EU in all existing and future trade agreements.

The Government must also stand up for Irish fishing communities. The recent incident at Rockall highlights the stark realities for the Irish fleet. The outcome of this Brexit deal amounts to another 15% cut in quota and income to our Irish fishing fleet, which was already struggling to survive. For the Irish fleet to be further ripped apart while there are immense fishing resources around our coast is unacceptable. It is time to revisit the EU Common Fisheries Policy quotas as they apply to Irish waters.

It is undeniable that we are now in circumstances in which the need to plan for constitutional change is irresistible. Brexit and the outcome of these negotiations have demonstrated once again that reunification and the ending of partition is the very best idea for the future of our island. That conversation is now live and an Irish unity referendum will happen. It is the duty of any Irish government to prepare for that change, to foster that conversation and to do everything possible to ensure that this process is inclusive of everybody who calls Ireland home.

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