Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the Deputies for their helpful suggestions and perspectives. Deputies Kelly and Haughey referred to my remarks last week on the protocol, which still stand. We have been here before. The meeting we had in May was comprehensive and lengthy. We had subsequent meetings with the European Commission. In the autumn the situation was on a good track with the European Commission looking at the overall situation and coming forward with a package of quite far-reaching proposals. In particular, European Commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, went to the North and met all the interests, parties, industrial stakeholders and so on. He did listen and came back with a comprehensive set of measures, which were not a fait accompliin themselves but were the basis for further negotiations with the United Kingdom Government. It is very regrettable that in advance of publication of the Šefčovič package, Lord Frost announced the issue around the European Court of Justice, ECJ. One would have formed the view that it may have been an effort almost to torpedo the Šefčovič package before it was published but I do not think it had that impact. The Šefčovič package is strong and substantive: it deals with sanitary and phytosanitary, SPS, matters, customs and the supply of medicines, which were the legitimate issues that people on all sides raised in relation to the protocol.

I met all the parties in Northern Ireland last month to go through all this with them. That was immediately in advance of the publication of the Šefčovič package. I had Maroš Šefčovič before that, as had the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Discussions are still ongoing. I would sound a note of caution that we do not automatically assume that anything will be triggered. It is important that we do not fall into a self-fulfilling prophecy. My view is very strong that I do not think there is a need to trigger Article 16 and it would be wrong to do so. Deputy Haughey mentioned two words, namely, trade and trust. Trade would be disrupted. Access to the Single Market is important to people and businesses in Northern Ireland and is having a beneficial impact. Any triggering of Article 16 could jeopardise that access in the shorter term. What is important now is that we double down on dialogue and engagement. That is what is happening and with the legacy issue.

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