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

In the first instance, I take Deputy Richmond's point. We cover the Brexit issue at the EU Cabinet committee as well and we have had meetings with the key Ministers and party leaders in the context of the EU and in respect of key moments for Brexit. I have met the British Prime Minister on the protocol issues specifically and made matters very clear. There was a very energetic engagement at the time of COP26 when there was commentary to the effect that Article 16 might be invoked. Our engagement was sustained across Government and all Ministers involved had an impact on the re-evaluation of that by the British Government. The British Government retains the right to do what it feels it needs to do but I accept the Foreign Secretary's statement that it is committed to reaching a resolution of the protocol issues through negotiation with the European Union process. There are challenges with regard to timelines and in that respect there is a need to bring these discussions and negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom to a positive conclusion that creates an environment within Northern Ireland where the institutions established by the Good Friday Agreement can work to the fullest extent possible. On the preparation for what might happen, we have to be aware of self-fulfilling prophecies. All our focus and attention is on the institutions staying intact and I have been very consistent on that with anyone I have met. People should fulfil all aspects of those institutions, including North-South engagement.

We acknowledge that there is an issue with the protocol. Unionist political parties have raised that and parties representing nationalism, to use a broad term, have also said they do not have an issue if restrictions are reduced and if we can make the operation of the protocol more efficient. Maroš Šefčovič engaged in very good faith with the Northern Ireland parties and continues to do so with the British Government. The EU has made very significant advances on the earlier position on a number of fronts. The issue of the protocol is a constant focus of the Government and there is constant engagement at multilateral levels or multilayered levels between the European, British and Irish Administrations. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, is also working on this with the Foreign Secretary. Primarily it is still a negotiation between the European Union and the United Kingdom as this is an agreement they had entered into.

Deputy McDonald raised the matter of the DUP. As I said, we acknowledge that there are issues but in our view it is not right that the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are not fulfilled, particularly the North-South dimension and the sectoral meetings. That is wrong. No positive agenda at all is served by the breakdown of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. The people want politicians to work on their behalf and to work for them. The Commission has listened and I will continue to engage on the matter. I met with the Orange Order on Monday and had a lengthy and frank discussion about the protocol. The benefits of the protocol are beginning to manifest themselves.

I have written formally to the British Prime Minster, as I said yesterday in my speech dealing with legacy. I have also spoken to him, of course. I recently met the British ambassador and had a lengthy discussion where I made very clear again the absolute necessity not to take unilateral action in relation to legacy and to respect the views of the families of victims.

Deputy Haughey's point is very valid and important. It is early days yet in some respects with Brexit. There will be a need for a much more comprehensive analysis of the impact of Brexit. Some of Brexit has not happened yet, such as export controls. We still have unfettered access to the UK market and customs or regulatory frameworks. The Deputy's earlier statistics are correct. When I was at the British-Irish Council the Welsh First Minister was very concerned about the drop in trade and the volume of trade coming from Holyhead. Irish businesses have adapted very quickly and are now taking the direct route to the Continent so there is a huge worry in Wales about the impact on its ports.

Even though it is a year on, it is still early days as to how this will settle and the protocol is important in that respect. More than that, with regard to the banking issue, benefits have come our way in some respects. Overall, we do not agree with Brexit and think it was a wrong thing to do from a policy perspective.

In terms of Deputy Boyd Barrett's contribution on the pension age, the point I was making and I do not want to go into it, was that a decision was taken to raise it to 66. Much work is to be done to make sure we have a sustainable pension for the coming 30 to 50 years. That is the work of the Pensions Commission and the Commission on Taxation on Welfare and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands which has produced a report to feed into that process.

It is not about making Northern Ireland more attractive-----

See this speech in context