Seanad debates

Wednesday, 13 March 2019

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2019: Motion for Earlier Signature

 

11:30 am

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If it is needed, we will have to work together in this Parliament across parties, Government and Opposition to ensure we protect our own people and our country in the context of what will be enormous challenges. In particular, we will have to protect the fragile North-South relationships on this island in that scenario. In the context of this legislation, I am glad that this House and the other House played their part in ensuring that we will be as ready as we can be, from a legislative perspective, in advance of 29 March which is still the possible date of the United Kingdom crashing out of the European Union. Let us hope it never comes to that, but if it does, we have done as much as we can, through legislation, to protect people and their rights. There are many other areas where we continue to work. In fact, we have accelerated our level of preparedness in terms of contingency planning in so many other areas from an Irish perspective, in partnership with our EU partners and, in some areas, on a bilateral basis with the UK.I thank Members for their support and for facilitating me. Let us wait and see what happens tonight and tomorrow in this extraordinary saga that continues to unfold in a very unpredictable way.

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