John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If we reduce the mood, attitude and atmosphere surrounding the relationship between the EU and the British Government to a phrase that could capture the situation in which we find ourselves, "perfidious Albion" resounds. Despite continuing attempts by EU negotiators to lower the political temperature, take British demands seriously and focus the British on working on the technical aspects of the negotiations, the British never had any intention of standing by their word according to Dominic Cummings, formerly a senior figure in Downing Street. Apparently, the British Government's intention from the outset was to abandon the protocol. We are continually forced to contend with a blatant and obtuse approach by the British, one that is hell-bent on ensuring that they remain locked in perpetual dispute with the EU and designed to distract from the impact of Brexit on Britain itself rather than searching for a meaningful solution. The EU has displayed a maturity, a commitment to political consensus and a resolve to find solutions to previously intractable problems throughout the process, but it is repeatedly met with unreasonable and ill-thought-out demands accompanied by displays of the worst kind of nationalist jingoism from British politicians and commentators.

While I am sure that there are many in Ireland and elsewhere in the EU who do not quite know how to respond to the British claims that the EU has surrendered in the sausage wars, the key overriding concern for every public representative - indeed, for every right-thinking person on this island - remains the continued protection of the Good Friday Agreement. The way the British are behaving is, at best, irresponsible. They cannot and must not be allowed to play domestic politics with the most important political development on this island in a century. The Good Friday Agreement must be offered every possible protection by the EU. What has Brexit achieved for the British? There are empty shelves, empty petrol tanks and staffing shortages across all areas of industry, yet the British Government's response is to continue insisting on playing poker with the peace process. It is contributing to the stoking of community tensions among unionists over the protocol, all of which is designed to distract British voters from the mess that it has made of Brexit. I add my voice to that of my colleague, Deputy McDonald, in asking that the Taoiseach communicate with our EU colleagues the depth and strength of support in the North for the protocol.

Poland has endured a difficult past of invasion, occupation, betrayal and economic deprivation. Emerging from such a past, there is an onus on Poland, like Ireland, to stand as a champion for liberal democratic values, values for which Polish citizens made clear their support when taking to the streets in their hundreds of thousands in recent weeks in support of Polish membership of the EU. There are serious concerns with the extreme right-wing Polish Government and the direction it is taking its people. There is an onus on the EU and the Taoiseach to raise these concerns about what is happening in Poland and other countries, such as Hungary, at the next meeting.

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