Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to share time with the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne.

The United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union posed unprecedented political, economic and diplomatic challenges for Ireland. Countering the risks to peace and prosperity necessitated not only a whole-of-Government but a whole-of-society approach. To do so as effectively as we have done required substantial contributions from people across this House, from countless public servants and from business, academia and civil society. I thank everybody involved for that.

These collective efforts helped to secure positive outcomes that were far from guaranteed at the outset. They include protecting the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement, avoiding a hard border on this island, maintaining the common travel area and securing Ireland's future in a strong European Union.

The decision of the UK to leave the customs union and Single Market brings inevitable and unwelcome consequences for Ireland. It is simply not possible to mitigate every risk. We can only work together to minimise the impacts. The Government will do whatever it can to ease the burden on businesses trading with our nearest neighbour. However, we must all accept that this new environment is now permanent. The new systems are there for a reason. They protect the EU Single Market and secure Ireland's membership of that market, membership of which has formed the basis for Ireland's modern prosperity.

The decision of the UK Government is regrettable. However, Ireland's continued direct and open access to the Single Market of 450 million Europeans, along with our continued role in shaping its future, will be essential to our continued economic and societal well-being. Throughout the negotiations of both the trade and co-operation agreement and the withdrawal agreement Ireland benefited enormously from the solidarity of our fellow EU partners. No member state wavered in its support for Ireland's critical interests in these negotiations. We will always be grateful to them for this. That solidarity is demonstrated not just in terms of the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland but in the continuation of the PEACE PLUS programme. Our position as the most impacted member state is reflected in Ireland receiving one quarter of the first tranche of the Brexit adjustment reserve, just over €1 billion.

We must all do what we can to use the trade and co-operation agreement to the maximum benefit. We welcome the ambitious commitments for the protection of workers and consumer rights, environmental protection and climate change while ensuring trade will be fair and sustainable. Without this agreement, our trade with Britain would have faced significant tariffs to the detriment of consumers and with devastating outcomes for certain sectors of the Irish economy.

The agreement contains the most wide-ranging commitments towards liberalising market access for goods ever to feature in an EU free trade agreement, including zero tariffs and zero quotas on all goods from day one. It allows EU companies to participate on an equal footing with UK companies in bids for public procurement tenders covered by the agreement and vice versa. The non-discrimination obligations of the agreement ensure that service suppliers or investors from the EU will be treated no less favourably than British operators in the UK and vice versa.

Provisions in the area of law enforcement and criminal justice will allow for the continuation of close co-operation between the Garda, the judicial system and their UK counterparts. Without this agreement, transport connectivity between the UK and the EU could have been badly impacted. This agreement provides a basis for continued air, road and maritime connectivity, including for cross-Border bus services. The agreement allows for continued UK participation in the Horizon programme, reinforcing scientific research links with the UK.

The decision of the UK to leave the Common Fisheries Policy threatened to remove all EU access to UK waters. Had we not reached a deal, the consequential impact on the Irish fishing industry could have been devastating, far more damaging than the accommodation arrived at in the trade and co-operation agreement. The Government, however, will continue to engage with the European Commission to seek constructive solutions and the burden these changes will place on our fishing industry versus others. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has already made clear he is exploring a variety of possible measures. The Government is also examining how our allocation under the Brexit adjustment reserve can be used to assist sectors such as fishing which are clearly disproportionately impacted.

It is never possible in negotiations to achieve a perfect deal. One never gets everything one wants. There must always be give and take. There should be an acceptance, however, that this agreement represents a fair and reasonable compromise between the EU and the UK, given the circumstances we faced. It establishes a framework for the relationship that has clear potential to be built upon and developed in the future.

The agreement reached on Christmas Eve closes a chapter in our relationship with the UK that began 48 years ago when we joined the EEC together. That also happens to represent my lifetime and the lifetime of many others. We are already working to renew and strengthen our relationship with the UK. We are looking at new approaches. As we lose the regular engagements and connections built through our shared EU membership, we are deepening our relationship with the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales with distinct programmes of co-operation with each.

However, there can be no doubt that Ireland's interests are best served by remaining a full, committed member of the EU, as well as forging a new and positive relationship with the UK. Ireland will continue to use its voice to shape shared policies in support of greater fairness and prosperity in the interests of all citizens on this island.

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