Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is very important and we need to recognise it as we face changing times. The Seanad provides a unique opportunity. Now that we have decided to retain the Seanad it is something we should invest time in developing and embrace it.

Senator O’Sullivan referred to the diaspora in the United Kingdom, the estimated 2 million Irish citizens who reside in the island of Great Britain, and what role they can play post 29 March or whatever day Brexit happens, if it ever does happen. That community will play an important role in maintaining UK-Irish relations post Brexit. As one of the only remaining 27 member states, we are very fortunate to maintain bilateral relations through the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, but we will also be able to maintain solid relations through the diaspora in the UK and, equally, through the 300,000 or so British citizens living in this jurisdiction.

One of the key issues, which has come up again, is passports. There was a surge of applications for Irish passports in the UK. I read, angrily, the article in The Irish Timesyesterday of the very cynical approach by a Mr. Fleming of Manchester who voted to leave but made sure he got his passport because he wants to be able to get through customs in Spain quicker. Those anomalies will always crop up.The fact that Mr. Ian Paisley Jnr. hands out Irish passport forms in his constituency clinic does not exactly sit comfortably with me but if it means certain people in the North can get their Irish passport more quickly, it is fair play and I embrace it. We must embrace every one of our diaspora, even if at times we might question their motives and fundamentally disagree with their outlook. Using our diaspora in the UK will be important so we must double down on those efforts. I welcome the reopening of the consulate in Cardiff to complement the consulate in Edinburgh and embassy in London. There is a great opportunity to go even further and strengthen our team in Great Britain. We could perhaps consider additional consulates, whether it is one to look after the northern powerhouse region based in Manchester or the unique and colourful Irish community around Coventry and Birmingham, which has contributed so much to the UK, particularly its post-war reconstruction. We should think about how much they can offer us and what we can offer them.