Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I ask some Members to look at last weekend's Sunday Business Postin which Mr. Eamon Delaney from the Hibernia Forum wrote a very interesting article about Ireland and the Commonwealth. It reinforces my views that there is no better time than now to rejoin or else be an associate member of the Commonwealth of Nations. He went on to say that Éamon de Valera and Kevin O'Higgins were active members of the Commonwealth. In 1949, a Fine Gael Government, trying to outdo Fianna Fáil, effectively helped reinforce partition of Ireland with a rash act. We accidentally left the Commonwealth and did not really engage any more. Mr. Delaney more or less said that, with Brexit looming, we are dependent on the UK for trade and commerce and he feels that associate status and working together would make Ireland very influential. He went on to say, and I have heard these feelings expressed, that the USA is looking to come on board as either an associate or member of the Commonwealth of Nations. He feels that there is no better time to increase those political and economic links with the UK.

He also stated that we need to radically and nimbly stay close to the UK post-Brexit. He also feels that we need to open that debate now. I feel that there is no better time to open that debate on the history of Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and I call on the Leader to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and others to come to the House to discuss it. Perhaps we could set aside time to debate the history of Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations, and what the best way would be to reinforce our associations, including trade, sporting and cultural links.