Ray Butler (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to express my condolences to the Cosgrave family.

I congratulate Martin O'Neill and the Irish soccer team on their win. It was like a mini World Cup victory. I hope Ireland will qualify to go to Russia.

I congratulate the Meath senior camogie team who won the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Final against Cork last Sunday week. Let me say: "Well done girls." It is great news that County Meath can win All-Ireland finals again.

It was very worrying to look at the Tory Party conference last week. What a pantomime - with Boris Johnson walking in and walking out and Theresa May's speech. We then learn from the leaked document on immigration what is being proposed under Brexit, namely, in 2019 people who are classified as unskilled will get a two-year stay and those who are skilled with get a five-year stay. That is very worrying for Irish and other European people. They are going to operate border controls on labour similar to those in Australia. These are draconian measures. We might have a "Guantanamo Bay" over there. Theresa May wants to know what Europe is doing, but it was she and her party who constructed this disaster.

It was reported in a weekend newspaper that Revenue needs more staff for customs duties and that it believes an open border will not work. The Germans and the other 27 member states will not lie down under Brexit and let Britain walk on them. Channel 4 News conducted its second "Brexit Reality Debate: Should Brexit be stopped at all costs?". For those who saw it, the English public now realise the big mistake they have made. When they look at the British Government's performance they see the disaster, with members tripping over one another. The Labour Party is no better. It is a case of the stiff upper lip, to keep going when the ship is sinking. It is a mess. There is no Government in Stormont.I would like the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to come in here so we can discuss the serious issue of emigration and consider where we go next.