Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I rise again today to talk about another parliament, the British House of Lords. The UK Government has suffered its tenth defeat in the House of Lords on Brexit. This one would give the UK Parliament powers to reject any Brexit deal that includes a hard border in Northern Ireland. This is hugely significant and at last the politicians in Westminster are seeing the damage that a hard border arising from Brexit could do to the island of Ireland.

I thank Lord Patten, the former chairman of the Conservative Party, whose parents actually come from Boyle, County Roscommon, where I live. He said they were playing with fire and pursuing a policy in Northern Ireland that is "sometimes clueless and sometimes delinquent". While the issue of the Border and the island of Ireland was not part of the Brexit campaign discussions, effectively the Border will be the Achilles heel to Brexit. The Border is not just economic; it is a social and psychological issue on the island of Ireland. I welcome this latest vote in the British House of Lords. While it is a decision for the UK Government, I hope for all concerned on the two islands that the House of Commons would be able follow what is happening in the House of Lords. We never thought we would be saying that.