Dáil debates
Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Ceisteanna - Questions
Brexit Issues
4:45 pm
Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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7. To ask the Taoiseach if the Cabinet Committee on Brexit will be retained when Cabinet committees are re-established. [32321/17]
Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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8. To ask the Taoiseach the status of the all-island civic dialogue. [32896/17]
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 8 together.
The Government has approved the establishment of a total of six Cabinet committees, one of which will deal with EU affairs and Brexit. In particular, this committee will assist the Government in its ongoing consideration of Brexit issues, including input to the negotiation process, both on the issues that are of unique or particular concern to Ireland and more generally. The committee met on 11 September.
The third plenary session of the all-island civic dialogue on Brexit will take place on Thursday, 28 September. It will provide a forum for civic society groups from both parts of the island, with political representatives from across the political spectrum. It will be an important opportunity to update participants on the Brexit negotiations and the Government’s policy response to Brexit. The session will also focus on how both enterprise and communities can best prepare for the challenges of Brexit. To facilitate the widest possible audience, the event will be streamed live on and a report will be published following the event.
Building on the plenary sessions, 19 all-Island sectoral dialogues have been hosted by Ministers since December, attended by more than 1,500 industry and civic society representatives from across the island. Most recently, on 8 September, the Minister for Health hosted in Dundalk an all-island sectoral dialogue on cross-Border health co-operation.
Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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It is very welcome that the all-island civic dialogue on Brexit will meet next Thursday. It has been a good initiative, both in the sectoral and plenary session gatherings. It has been useful in informing the Government and I hope citizens across the island have some sense that we need to come at this issue in an all-island manner. If I understand the Taoiseach's answer properly, it is also welcome that the committee which will be re-established will have Brexit as a major component of its responsibilities.
I attended the national ploughing championships yesterday. I offer my condolences to the family of the former national ploughing championships title holder, Mr. Martin Kehoe Jnr, who was tragically killed in a farm accident. Most of the talk at the national ploughing championships was about Brexit. Farmers in the entire agrifood sector are concerned about what is coming at us. I very much welcome the remarks of Mr. Guy Verhofstadt, MEP, in the North earlier. He said the North should remain in the customs union and the Single Market. That would effectively be special designated status for the North for which the House voted and which a majority of MLAs in the Assembly support. The people of the North voted to remain in the European Union, something the Government must uphold. I acknowledge that time is limited, but perhaps the Taoiseach might give us indication of where he understands the negotiating process to be between the British and the European Union. There appears to have been a complete failure thus far by the British Government to make progress on the issues that have been set aside. Will the Government insist on the Brexit negotiations not being allowed to move to the next stage of discussions until these issues are satisfactorily dealt with?
Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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There are five minutes left. I will give the other party leaders one minute each and three minutes to the Taoiseach in which to respond if that is acceptable.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Taoiseach clarify whether he is responsible for overseeing Brexit policy? The Brexit unit is in his Department, as is the official in charge of the negotiations on our behalf. In spite of this, this week his office transferred a direct question on the issue to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the basis that it was not the Taoiseach's responsibility. I have had many bad experiences in questions being transferred. Will the Taoiseach explain why this happened and will he make sure it will not happen again? He has just replied to questions on Brexit.
In the civic dialogue on the last number of occasions we have met different sectors and communities have expressed their fear of major damage being done. In most cases, there has been a promise to take action but no specific action has been outlined. Has the Taoiseach discussed sectoral support plans with Mr. Michel Barnier and the European Union and the need to come up with solutions on our side with an accommodation on the EU side?
During his trip to Belfast the Taoiseach said we would not help London to design a border. That is fine rhetoric, but in reality if there is to be an EU border, we will have to try to influence it, even though we do not want it. Given that the British Government has rejected the trial balloon of having the border in the middle of the Irish Sea, what is our specific negotiating position other than hoping Brexit will disappear? I have said publicly that I believe there should be an economic zone to include the North and the Border counties. There is a need to engage with the European Union to get some idea of where it stands on the idea of an economic zone post-Brexit to include Northern Ireland and the Border counties. Has the Taoiseach asked his officials to present any material on a special economic zone?
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am becoming increasingly concerned, certainly about the British negotiating position. Over the weekend the British Foreign Secretary directly challenged the stated position of the British Prime Minister. It seems that there is no coherent view within the British Government which is extremely worrying, particularly in the context of there being no clear solution to the problem of having a border on this island which none of us wants and given the lack of a voice in Northern Ireland in a functioning Executive. I understand the very good reasons the Government disengaged or halted the bilateral work on contingency planning, but we all cannot stand back and look at an emerging train wreck and allow it to happen before being flabbergasted by the consequences. As Deputy Micheál Martin asked, what specifically has the Government fed into the EU negotiating position in respect of the island of Ireland and the solution if the United Kingdom leaves the customs union? Is it a bespoke all-island solution or something else? We need to hear exactly what is the negotiating position of Ireland.
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I join others in expressing my condolences to the family of Mr. Martin Kehoe Jnr.
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Martin was a constituent of mine and it was remiss of me not to refer to his tragic death. He was a well known figure in a very well known family.
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Of course. The condolences of the House go to his family and friends at this time. It was the 16th farm fatality this year, something that concerns us all.
Deputy Gerry Adams is absolutely right to express the concerns of the agrifood sector about Brexit.
It was certainly the main talking point at the ploughing championships last year and I imagine it will be the main talking point this year as well. We share those concerns and the Government is very much aware of the scale and value of exports to Britain from this island, particularly but not exclusively with beef. We are working to maintain as close a trading relationship as possible with the United Kingdom so trade can continue. That is what we are working towards. Initially there will be a long transition phase, during which the rules of trade would remain the same, and after that a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom in which the rules of trade would remain much the same. We are clearly just one of the parties negotiating in this space.
In the North all I can say is I strongly encourage the political parties in Northern Ireland to come together to form an Executive and have the Northern Assembly up and running. Deputy Adams has expressed the wish that Northern Ireland should stay in the customs union and European Single Market; it would be useful if the Assembly and Executive said that, and it would certainly strengthen the position of those who wish to ensure there is no economic or trade border between North and South. It would strengthen our position if the Executive and Assembly, representing the people of Northern Ireland, met and said that and did not leave it to politicians in London to speak for them. That is something I encourage the parties in the North to do.
On Brexit, Deputy Simon Coveney is the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit. That means in practice that he is responsible to the Dáil, initially, for matters related to Brexit. He is the vice chairman of the Cabinet committee dealing with European affairs and Brexit.
4:55 pm
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach's predecessor answered questions on Brexit since the decision was taken.
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Yes.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Is the Taoiseach saying there has been a change?
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am outlining to the Deputy the division of responsibilities, which has changed. Deputy Coveney is the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is not on.
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I announced that on the day he was appointed. I will obviously continue to answer questions here through Leaders' Questions and questions for the Taoiseach, as I have before.
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade takes questions every six weeks.
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The role is Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit. He will be responsible to the Dáil for matters related to Brexit.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The person briefing us is from the Taoiseach's office.
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am explaining the division of responsibilities. If the Deputy wishes to ask further questions, he might allow me to answer his first question.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I want to table questions.
Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach may give a clarification.
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister will be vice chairman of the Cabinet committee dealing with European affairs and Brexit and he will lead on Brexit in the media. Memos relating to Brexit will come from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and he will lead and co-ordinate the all-island civic dialogue and sectoral meetings. I will, of course, retain responsibility for the European Council as the person who represents Ireland and for any dealings with heads of state and government. We will work closely on these matters.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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This is important. Is the Taoiseach saying that from now on-----
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Will the Taoiseach answer questions on it?
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I answer questions through Leaders' Questions and questions to the Taoiseach. I will be happy to continue to answer questions in this Chamber on Brexit. Written questions will be referred to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I had a question for the Taoiseach that was referred to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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We can have two extra minutes for clarification of this.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The precedent has been that during questions to the Taoiseach, we could ask him questions on Brexit and the Taoiseach of the day would respond.
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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He said he will continue to do that.
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There was never an issue.
Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I am anxious that this is clarified. Far be it from me to offer an interpretation but it seems from what the Taoiseach said, he will take oral questions and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade will take written questions.
Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I have a brief supplementary question. The Taoiseach knows well that Sinn Féin wants and is working to see the institutions in place in the North. He also knows the largest party in the Assembly, the Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, has signed up to a confidence and supply agreement not unlike Fine Gael's relationship with Fianna Fáil. It will support legislation on Brexit. We will not get the Executive speaking with one voice, even as a majority of MLAs support the position we have advanced for a designated status. The Taoiseach knows that so why does he feed false information into the debate?
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It is not false information. The DUP is a political party in Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin is a political party in Northern Ireland. There is no Assembly or Executive to speak on behalf of Northern Ireland. The Assembly could, of course, adopt a resolution and the Executive could, of course, take a particular position. I encourage the parties to do exactly that. It is not the case that either the DUP or Sinn Féin can speak on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland as Northern Ireland does not have an Assembly or Executive. It is regrettable.