Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

On Thursday last in the course of the Seanad Brexit committee hearings one contribution was striking, namely, that of Mr. John McGrane, the chief executive of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce. Mr. McGrane suggested that the Government should reach out across both parts of this island to all aspects of civic society, including the industrial representative organisations, trade unions, farmers' organisations, trade organisations and legal professions, to explore what the imaginative and flexible options which Mr. Barnier has said he will consider might be. I call on the Leader to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Flanagan, the Taoiseach or whoever is handling this particular aspect of the Brexit affair on our behalf, to come to this House to indicate their attitude to that idea.

It seems to me that there are many models by which the best interests of both parts of this island could be advanced. It also seems to me that there is a lot of analysis of the problems inherent in Brexit and very little debate on the positive solutions, at a public level at any rate. I ask that the Leader ask whoever bears responsibility for this matter - in truth, it is probably the Taoiseach's Department - to come to this House to engage in a discussion with Members on the idea put forward by Mr. McGrane, namely, to engage Irish society on a general wide basis to participate in that debate and to come forward with different models and solutions for consideration by everybody on this island and not to have the process entirely conducted in secret.