Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased that agreement has been reached between the EU and UK negotiators. We sought to protect the peace process and Good Friday Agreement and maintain the common travel area and related benefits for Irish and British citizens. We have to ensure that we are at the place in Europe where we can protect jobs and the economy. The Republic of Ireland did not vote for or want Brexit.

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Theresa May has been true to her word. She has worked extremely hard to keep all of the factions together and I hope in the coming weeks and months that we will get an agreement. We are working in a committed way with the UK Government.

My message to Ulster Unionists is that our approach was not in any way to threaten. It was merely to protect the Good Friday Agreement and everything that is included in it.

I thank again all of the other political parties. Worked as a team in the interests of our country and our citizens, both here and in Europe. A bad deal for the United Kingdom was a bad deal for Ireland and we are in a much better space today.Today is also the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement which aimed to bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It gave the Irish Government an advisory role in Northern Ireland while confirming there would be no change in the constitutional position of Northern Ireland unless the majority of the people agreed to join the Republic. It did improve co-operation between the British and Irish Governments which was a key creation of the Good Friday Agreement. That is something we have to acknowledge today. Thirty three years ago we did not have those relationships. Those relationships have been built up in the past 33 years and the Leas-Chathaoirleach would know that the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly has members from all parties and we have to ensure those relationships are improved and enhanced and worked upon because now we need them more than ever. Today is a good day. However, I think the coming weeks will tell how good it is.