Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday evening the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade who has responsibility for Brexit, Deputy Coveney, briefed the Chairmen of joint committees. I am the Vice Chairman of the Joint Committee on European Affairs and represented Deputy Michael Healy-Rae at the briefing on the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019. It is planned to take Second Stage of the Bill in the Seanad on 11 and 12 March, with the Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken on 13 March and 14 March. With our leader, Senator Ardagh, I pledge full support to the Government to ensure the Bill will be passed expeditiously in this House. It addresses the scenario in which the United Kingdom Government decides to withdraw from the European Union on 29 March without an agreement. The leader of Fianna Fáil, Deputy Micheál Martin, and my party are acting in the national interest in renewing the confidence and supply agreement until 2020 to ensure this vital Bill will be passed and that there will be no disruption of the preparations in Departments for Brexit and what will happen in the post-Brexit period. The Bill is comprehensive and comprises 93 sections which cover most, if not all, Departments. It will allow a smooth transition, post-Brexit, in the making of social welfare payments to people living in the United Kingdom which at that stage will be a third country and the payment of health, education and student grants, etc. The land bridge will be secured to allow exports via the United Kingdom to mainland Europe. If Fianna Fáil had acted in an irresponsible manner in a no confidence vote on the Minister for Health, the country would have been plunged into a general election and the Bill would not be passed for approximately three months. That would have affected social welfare payments and other benefits such as pension payments, illness and child benefit payments. The Bill will protect workers whose UK-based employers become insolvent and allow SUSI grants to be paid to eligible Irish students in the United Kingdom. It would be chaotic-----