Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

“The dream is dying” declared Boris Johnson yesterday in his resignation letter to Theresa May. It reminded me of the old Waterboys Song “England is dying”, from which it is worth quoting a couple of lines. It is particularly apt when one thinks of Boris:

Still he sings an empire song,

Still he keeps his navy strong,

And he sticks his flag where it ill belongs,

Old England is dying.

While it is easy and, yes, enjoyable to see the Tory Party with its illusions of empire sink ever further into crisis on Brexit, the consequences for our country North and South grow more serious by the day. The gleeful declaration by Andrea Leadsom last night that the European Court of Justice would have no more say over matters involving Britain and that there would be an end to freedom of movement for EU citizens are just two of a number of worrying statements coming from this quarter. Like many, I worry that this British Government may well prove incapable of negotiating a Brexit agreement. By accident, rather than by design, we may end up with a hard Brexit. As such, I call for a further debate on this issue, in particular to discuss the Government's readiness for this possibility and its contingency plans at EU level to ensure there is no hard border on this island. Brexit was a Tory solution to a Tory problem. The backstop or Irish protocol agreed last December is the bottom line for Ireland and the British Government cannot and must not be allowed to negotiate downwards from that position.

The second issue I raise today is the Government's decision to proceed with plans to delete the reference to a woman’s place in the home from the Constitution. I understand a referendum is scheduled for 26 October. Instinctively, one wants to think this is a good thing to do, but I join those who have expressed concern as to why the Government chose to ignore the advice of the Constitutional Convention and its own departmental task force on the matter. Both the Convention and the Department of Justice and Equality advised against repeal simpliciter and recommended instead making the constitutional clause gender neutral and including carers within or beyond the home. This is an opportunity to do something positive, recognising the rights of carers and the crucial role they play in our society. A third option not considered but highlighted by Laura Cahillane, a law lecturer at the University of Limerick, would be to recognise that care work in the home is of such importance that the State will ensure that those who choose this role are sufficiently supported financially. Given the huge costs of holding a referendum, all options surely should be explored before the question is brought to the people. Rather than rush in to hold a referendum on this issue in the absence of any real discussion, it is important to ensure there is proper debate. Frankly, that has just not happened so far. As such, I call for a debate on that issue.