Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming before the House. We attempted to recall the Seanad on Monday, but the request was refused because no Minister was available. It is disappointing that more Senators are not present for such an important debate.

The Brexit decision will affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of Irish people North and South in terms of trade, work, education, shopping, health, agriculture and many other areas. Brexit will physically reduce the market within which our businesses function and will reduce opportunities for all of the people on the island. To protect people North and South from this damage, the Government has a moral responsibility to institute the necessary changes to build the all-Ireland economy.

In the same way as it is unacceptable for Scotland to have its democratic will obstructed, it is unacceptable for the North of Ireland. This is a once in a century opportunity for all of us on the islands to redesign our constitutional future. We should grasp this opportunity with both hands. We need a Government that will be ambitious, bold and creative for all of Ireland. Naturally, this result intensifies the case for a Border poll and a referendum on Irish reunification. We should never be afraid of asking the people a question and never assume that we know what the outcome will be. If anything, what we have learned from Brexit is that we should not make assumptions about how people will vote.

There are some opportunities. There is an opportunity to address regional imbalance and the economic divide between the east and west. We have an opportunity for increased foreign direct investment, but this must be directed to the west using our taxation system for tax designated areas, broadband, telecommunications and providing the vital infrastructure that is needed. I ask the Government to bear that in mind.

There is now a need for maximum co-operation between the Stormont Executive and the Irish Government to minimise the consequences of the Brexit vote. The Taoiseach must focus on promoting the interests of the whole of the island, particularly the North. There is also an onus on Executive Ministers to ensure that all matters of mutual benefit to people in the North, in particular the Border counties, such as the agriculture and business sectors, are actively defended and promoted as we enter uncharted waters.

We in Sinn Féin will continue our opposition to the unacceptable and undemocratic aspects of the European Union. We will continue our policy of critical engagement with the EU, including a more robust and less compliant approach. The urgency of reform of the EU has never been greater. The outcome of the Brexit referendum should encourage such a process and it should be undertaken with the urgency it demands.

On this island, notwithstanding partition, we should accept the vote in the North. People voted to remain within the EU, a decision which should be upheld. The Irish Government has a major responsibility to think nationally on an all-island basis. The Government, as co-equal guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, also has responsibility to defend the Agreement and its political institutions.

The Irish Government must work to promote the interests of the whole of Ireland, North and South, in future talks at EU level and support the rights of Ministers in the North to deal directly with EU institutions. This can be achieved, as I said, by maximum co-operation between the Executive and Government in Dublin in upholding the vote of the electorate in the North. In the time ahead, this should include a referendum on Irish unity. The task of everyone, therefore, must be to agree policies and strategies that can minimise any problems that will arise as a consequence of Brexit and use it to create a new Ireland and new EU.

Next Monday's North-South Ministerial Council meeting comes at an important point in this process and people will look to our leaders to rise above differences to meet the challenge of the time. This is not and cannot be business as usual. This is a time for real transformational leadership. Sinn Féin will play its part once again. Our Deputies, Senators, MEPs, MPs, MLAs and all other elected representatives will play their part in providing this leadership at a very important time for our country.