Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, to the House. There have been many landmark moments in Irish history, including when we gained our independence and the Treaty, as well as when we joined the European Union. Brexit represents another landmark moment. Our largest trading partner is in the process of changing its relationship with the EU. While the title of the agreement refers to the withdrawal of Britain from the EU, I still hope that does not happen. I still hope that there will be a re-run of the referendum. There is no upside to Brexit for Ireland, the UK or Europe. I still hope that common sense will prevail. Notwithstanding that hope, the draft agreement that has been negotiated by Mr. Michel Barnier on behalf of the EU, with input from the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, is the best deal that could be achieved in the circumstances.

There are a number of notable features in the deal, the main one being the retention of a customs union between Ireland, the North and the UK. That is extremely important. The deal also ensures there will be no hard border. Many people have misinterpreted the backstop, which simply aims to ensure, on a point of principle, that we never have a return to a hard border. It is unclear how that will manifest itself in the future relationship but the underlying principle is that we will never have a hard border again. The withdrawal agreement guarantees no hard border, a single market between ourselves and Northern Ireland and a customs union between ourselves, the United Kingdom and the North.

I wish Mrs. Theresa May well and in the circumstances, hope she will be able to get the agreement through the House of Commons. We will then be able to sit down and negotiate a future relationship, in all of its manifestations, between ourselves and the UK, as well as the UK with the EU. The Single Market is key. Given that the issue of the North is coming into focus, I have a few constructive comments to make. The Northern Ireland Assembly should have been up and running over the last period. One can only be held responsible for things that are within one's control. It was within the control of Sinn Féin and the DUP to get the Assembly up and running to represent the best interests of the people who democratically elected them to that Assembly. Given the fact that the overwhelming majority of voters in the North wished to remain in the EU, it was incumbent upon Sinn Féin to take that on board and to go into the House of Commons and vote for remain.