Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Senator Humphreys. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan. It is clear from the debate today that many of us feel a profound sense of bleakness and sadness at the result in the referendum last week. It appears that Britain has turned its back on Europe and already we have seen immense fragmentation as a result of the vote. It also appears to mark a victory for emotion based argument over rational argument. One could call it a victory for hate and arguments based on hate over arguments based on hope. That characterisation of the vote has affected us all deeply, at a visceral level, as highly disappointing.

At a practical level, we have seen cataclysmic results with the plummeting pound, political chaos in the two main political parties in the UK and a shock to international markets. There is also the real uncertainty and instability for many thousands of EU citizens living in Britain and the thousands of British people resident in other EU countries. These very disturbing consequences are coupled with a rise in hate crimes since Friday, with incidents of racist graffiti and so forth.

Rather than respond with despair, it is important that we move on and see the vote as a wake up call to all of Europe that its citizens are not satisfied with business as usual. To paraphrase the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, we must emphasise the Europe of kindergartens and museums, not the Europe of banks and bureaucrats. In short, we must embrace the idea of a social Europe built on values of inclusivity, pluralism and solidarity, with a social welfare system and equality laws that set us apart from the rest of the world. Reform is required to restore this vision of Europe. I echo the remarks of the Labour Party leader, Deputy Brendan Howlin, in the Dáil yesterday, that Europe must serve its people more clearly and demonstrably if it is to prosper and survive. Indeed, Colm Tóibín wrote yesterday about an eroding sense of connection between the European elite and the European population. This must be addressed.

Apart from the need for reform at EU level, we must also focus on what must be done now at a practical level. The Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, will be at the European Council today in Brussels. It is vital that he represents the unique case of Ireland. It is also vital that we do not join with other European nations that appear to wish to punish the UK. It is noteworthy that the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in particular, is being more circumspect in her public pronouncements, in contrast to the peremptory tone taken by Jean-Claude Juncker. We must allow the UK to have a breathing space and time to deal with the political vacuum that has arisen. I note the confidence vote in Mr. Jeremy Corbyn MP is taking place today in London. We also need clarity about what type of arrangement the UK will seek from Europe. The best vision I have seen put forward in recent days is that of Labour Party MP, Yvette Cooper, who has called for a special relationship between Britain and the EU that includes access to the Single Market and a plan for immigration reform. There must be breathing space for that to evolve and develop.

From our perspective, the Irish Government's first concern should be to ensure that British-Irish relations continue to flourish and that North-South relations are not compromised in any way by this vote. This is no time, for example, to rush into a Border poll. Instead, the priority must be to preserve good relations across borders and to build on the 18 years of peace in Northern Ireland. The Government's summary of key actions, and I thank the Government for publishing it, provides a blueprint and preservation of the common travel agreement would be a key priority. While we must work together to ensure a minimal impact as a result of this vote on the people of our island and beyond, clearly we are all going about our business profoundly disappointed at the result and deeply concerned about the ongoing implications.

We should hope that hate does not prevail over hope. As the late Jo Cox MP so memorably said, what unites us must be stronger than what divides us.