Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Following on from what Senator Paul Daly said, this section presents a serious problem. As Senator Daly said, we do not know where Waterways Ireland will stand post-Brexit? This entire section may be deemed totally and utterly useless. We could have two countries, the North of Ireland and the South of Ireland, each having a different set of regulations and different criteria. This has thrown the cat among the pigeons. It creates serious concern. There appears to have been no consultation with Northern Ireland on the drafting of this Bill, and the Minister might clarify if there was consultation. Unless we are all singing off the same hymn sheet, North and South, we could find ourselves in serious trouble with this.

We have to address the implications of this Bill in a post-Brexit world. As the 27 member states go forward to negotiate, I do not think they will be too pushed about the canals in Ireland. This causes a serious problem and perhaps we should withdraw the canals element from the Bill at this stage and deal with it separately.