Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will begin by congratulating the Government for the game it has played to date in representing Ireland's interests to the best of its ability.The Government and, particularly, the civil servants involved, the Minister of State and the Tánaiste deserve recognition because they wore the green jersey. Some people throw political jibes and criticise but that is the wrong thing to do on this issue. It is like the Irish soccer team going out to play, or not play as has recently been the case. One wears the green jersey and everyone plays together to try to get the best result for the country. It is about putting the country first and that is what has been done. The fruit of that work is evident in the draft agreement which contains many economic and political positives for Ireland.

I understand why Sinn Féin MPs abstain from the House of Commons. One need only walk into places such as the Ardoyne or the Bogside in Derry to get an insight into why Sinn Féin MPs do not vote or take their seats in the House of Commons. It is a complicated historical and cultural issue. I do not blame those MPs for not taking their seats in the House of Commons and not voting.

The institutions in the North should be up and running. If it were not for Brexit, it is possible that they would be operating because both Governments would be able to devote more time to provide the pivotal support required to get them up and running. Although I understand from where it is coming, the DUP playing politics on this issue in London underlines the difficulty of re-establishing the institutions in the North. In recent times, people such as Bertie Ahern in conjunction with the Government have quietly done much good work on the ground to try to cultivate agreement at a political level. The attendance of Arlene Foster at the Ulster Gaelic football final this year was evidence of that. I am familiar with some of the work that went on behind the scenes in which the Government was involved. The issue is more complicated than saying Sinn Féin should do certain things which might solve certain problems.

On the draft agreement, the backstop is the insurance policy and we all welcome that. Much could be said about it. Given what will take place this coming weekend, it is an interesting time. Ultimately, the focus rests on London and a small group of Conservative MPs who are trying to hold the House of Commons to ransom, which is regrettable. The British people have a significant amount to lose from a hard Brexit that does not accept an exit strategy such as that identified in the agreement. Economically, the financial services sector in London, and the UK in general, have much to lose from a hard Brexit, as does Ireland. The Danish economists' report commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade illustrates the potential losses. For every 1% hit on GDP in Ireland, between 20,000 and 30,000 jobs will be lost. That would be an economic catastrophe for this small country. However, the report indicates that GDP could fall by between 2.5% and 7%. That would have serious ramifications for the economy.

We must reflect on the wider European issue. Some bureaucrats in Brussels may be happy for the United Kingdom to leave because it was always rightly questioning matters within the EU. We must ensure that after Britain exits, we continue to ask questions on issues such as taxation, neutrality and big business infiltration in Brussels, where large multinational companies are able to dictate European policy by canvassing a person or team of persons through the Commission. Serious issues need to be discussed, although we will not do so today. We must support the draft withdrawal agreement, but serious outstanding issues must be dealt with in the EU.

I did not touch on agriculture or some other issues in our economy. I wish the Minister of State well and applaud the work she is doing. We must wear the green jersey. This is about the Irish political team. Thus far, all involved have done a convincing job and I salute that.