Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was very disappointed with the negotiations on Brexit yesterday. We felt that an agreement in respect of one of the most significant issues relating to the island of Ireland was coming to a satisfactory conclusion. I was in the House of Commons a year and a half ago and I helped to launch the Irish4Europe campaign. We were hoping that the members of the Irish diaspora in the United Kingdom would vote to remain in the European Union. I said that a referendum was a very blunt instrument to use in respect of such a very complex issue. At that time, there was a perfect storm in that the Conservative Party was fighting to protect its flank from UKIP and the Labour Party had come under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn who is anti-Europe. Now, there is no Northern Ireland Assembly in place at Stormont. We are in a very difficult situation.

I wish to pay tribute to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy McEntee, and also to the various parties in the Oireachtas which wore the green jersey and which did not play politics with such a sensitive and emotive issue.The Union of 27 countries of which we are part, also stood firm with Ireland. We are in a unique situation now. Ireland can hold its head up high as an equal partner in the EU. I have told many of my UK colleagues that we in Ireland viewed Brexit as the United Kingdom accidentally shooting itself in our foot. Yesterday, it looked as if it got out a blunderbuss and shot itself all over the place. I always felt that the Border would be the Achilles heel of Brexit because it is simply unworkable. It is ironic that the Border could now be the death of Brexit, which I would welcome, but could also undermine the British Government. We are in a very difficult situation. I agree with Senator Boyhan that we need to take a step back and take some time to reflect. I hope that we will have a satisfactory outcome to this very difficult issue in the coming days.