Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, agus a Leas-Cheannaire. Ba mhaith liom ábhar a lua atá luaite ag comhghleacaithe cheana féin. I rise to express what is, I am sure, a shared concern at the public utterances of the leader of the DUP yesterday in regard to the Good Friday Agreement. As has been stated by colleagues across the Chamber, the Good Friday Agreement is an international, binding agreement. It is not up for negotiation in the context of Brexit, nor should it be. It is only by dint of the will of the people of Ireland we can subject that agreement to change.

I understand why Government colleagues and Ministers who have come to this House have erred on the side of caution in regard to the Brexit negotiations. I appreciate that they have be sensitive to the live nature of those negotiations. However, as I and other colleagues have said, the Good Friday Agreement is not up for negotiation and we should not be behind the door in defence of it.

I note and commend the remarks of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste yesterday in defence of the Good Friday Agreement. It is important to remind Members that when we hear such dangerous, reckless public utterances, be it those uttered yesterday about the Good Friday Agreement not being sacrosanct or it being open to change, or today's latest statement about blood red lines in regard to Brexit, not only should we remain united in our constitutional obligations to the Good Friday Agreement and its delivery in full but, politically, we should defend the people North and South who mandated all of us to live up to and fully implement the agreement in its entirety.

Last week, I called for a debate on Brexit. There is also merit in having statements on the Good Friday Agreement and the importance of it such that the Government can reiterate its position in defence of the agreement in order that we can move forward. I ask that the Deputy Leader schedule that debate.