Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will begin by congratulating the Tánaiste, the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, and the Taoiseach on what I regard as probably one of the greatest achievements in cohesion of any Government. The Ministers and the Taoiseach are all sending out the same message, as are their officials throughout Europe. We have attended a number of meetings of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union and, as my colleague Senator Leyden stated, the message is always clear from Ireland. I have not met anybody - from Bulgaria, to Georgia, to Brussels - who does not know the Irish position. I congratulate the Tánaiste and the Government on that. It is a tremendous achievement. Sadly, the British Government's position is far less clear and nobody is quite sure what way anybody is thinking. I reject any criticism of the UK's decision to withdraw from the European Union. That was their choice and they have made it. They are leaving a market and they made the decision knowing exactly what they were going to do. They must live with that.

That brings me to the issue of the Border. I have spoken to a number of people in industry and I have also spoken to politicians across Europe. Nobody I have met is convinced that a solution can be found in respect of the Border. I have not met anybody who believes that. This is notwithstanding the fact that all politicians in the UK, in Northern Ireland and in Ireland are saying that the Border will remain open. Perhaps the Tánaiste will not be able to answer now but I would like to know if we have war-gamed the possibility of having to close the Border. Have we examined what would be required to close the Border if we have to do so, particularly in view of the fact that we are part of the European Union and that, from March next year, Britain will become a third country?

The Good Friday Agreement brings with it certain responsibilities for Ireland, the UK and Northern Ireland. While the British courts and the courts in Northern Ireland have been unwilling or unable to look at Brexit and the possibilities for a court-based solution in respect of it, we have a situation in the North of Ireland where every citizen has a right to an Irish passport. Have we explored the possibility of using the courts to examine the referendum that took place in Northern Ireland? I refer to the referendum as it happened in Northern Ireland not to the referendum in Britain, Scotland or Wales. It might be worth considering doing this in a doomsday situation in order to look at how we protect the citizens of Ireland who are in Northern Ireland and who are also EU citizens.

The issue of the land-bridge is a matter of serious concern to many exporters in Ireland. A number of exporters are looking at the possibility of a sea route into the heart of Europe, especially to the Hook of Holland or to one of the German ports. Is the Government prepared to examine this matter? When we met Michel Barnier, he certainly said that there would be EU money available to develop deep-sea ports in Ireland in order that we could have a direct route into Europe. I would be interested in knowing if the Government at least would support the exploration of those ideas.

I attended one of the Tánaiste's Brexit roadshows. I will not say which one because I do not want to expose any specific geographical area. It was a wonderful event. Every agency in the State that is required to support companies in a Brexit situation was represented. The heartbreak for me was when the facilitator at one of the sessions asked for a show of hands in respect of which companies had appointed someone with responsibility for Brexit-related issues. Out of the entire room, only two companies had done so. With all the work the Tánaiste, the Department and the various agencies have put in, that was a very damning indictment of the business world. Is the Tánaiste finding the position to be the same everywhere he goes within the State?

Once again, I thank the Tánaiste and his officials for coming to the House and for the job they are doing.