Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I reiterate my call for updated statements from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade on the current state of play in the Brexit negotiations. This is in no way to disrespect the nature of the critical juncture we are at but it has been some time since we heard a statement from the Minister on the matter. It is timely, warranted and necessary given the significance of the issue, on which we all agree. It is important that Seanadóirí have the opportunity to engage with and hear from the Minister on this and to offer our views as the Government moves forward.

There is an ongoing absence of an Executive in the North as a result of the failure of the DUP to sign up to the draft agreement. I do not wish to provoke recrimination but we need to move now to the logical space laid out for us in, and created by, the Good Friday Agreement, that is, the convening of the intergovernmental conference.It can allow for the ability to legislate on some of the contentious issues, which I do not believe are contentious - they are solvable - such as language rights, marriage equality and, this week, the findings from the High Court in Belfast on legacy inquests.

I reiterate the call made by my party president in Queen's University in a keynote lecture delivered last night. It is necessary to convene the conference at this time, although all of us would rather see an Executive that functions on the basis of equality, respect and integrity for every citizen. In the absence of that, however, the Good Friday Agreement shines a light on a path forward. We should follow the Good Friday Agreement at all times, as we have done, and convene that sitting of the intergovernmental conference to ensure the delivery of rights for the people who should not have to wait any longer.