Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We need to have a debate about Irish unity. Senator Boyhan referred to a excellent report by the jobs committee during the previous Dáil, which examined the potential for an all-Ireland basis for business. The obvious gains economically for our public services from unity need to be debated. We need to have our say on that matter. I am not afraid of having a debate or losing that debate but let us have it. Once it takes place, there has to be a poll every seven years. That process needs to be put in place. That is why I cannot understand the round rejection of that suggestion. The Scottish people should have their say on independence in response to this crisis but we should not. It does not make sense and I do not understand this. Those who say we must wait are conceding to a Unionist veto for God knows how long into the future. We will never come to the point of having a practical debate with a vote on this matter. I am not afraid of losing the vote but I want to have the debate. I am confident in the arguments my party and I will put forward on the matter.

With regard to the short-term fallout of the referendum, currency fluctuations will impact on agriculture and business, particularly small businesses in this State that export to Britain. We have called on the Minister and the Government to seek support at European level for our agriculture sector and for small business to deal with the impact in the short term. Particular attention needs to be paid to the Border area. There is considerable concern among cross-Border workers, small businesses and people in the agriculture and tourism sectors, which will undoubtedly be affected by this decision. The Government needs to address these concerns in a tangible way. Its contingency plan states it will monitor the impact in the Border area on those sectors but it will need to be willing to adjust budgets and seek European support. Nerves need to be steadied in a clear way.

We must examine whether the European project should be re-imagined in response to the referendum. We need to fight for a social Europe, a democratic Europe and a Europe that ensures decent pay and decent work, rebuilds our public services, invests in public infrastructure and ensures fair and just taxation to win the hearts and minds of our people. If we do not go down that road, more states will step back from this project and this opportunity.