Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat a Chathaoirligh agus a Sheanadóirí. As Senators know, today marks the 70th anniversary of the Republic of Ireland coming into effect. Today 70 years ago, the President, Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh, signed into law the Republic of Ireland Act and, therefore, while it may be a coincidence, today is a fitting day for me to have the opportunity to speak in this august House. Becoming a republic changed our relationship with Britain. It resolved a number of constitutional issues, some significant, others symbolic, and enabled us to engage in the world in a different way. It was an important stepping stone on the way to our country taking its place among the nations of the world. While the Republic was declared many times in Irish history, this was the first and only time that it was recognised internationally. This morning I want to talk about those very same issues, 70 years later. These include our relationship with Britain and Northern Ireland, especially in the context of Brexit, and also how we as a small nation engage with the wider world. To mark the 70th anniversary of the Republic, the Government has organised an event with the Royal Irish Academy later this evening to discuss the events of 1948 and 1949 and assess their significance. I am pleased that a Member of the Seanad, Senator Bacik, will be on the panel for that discussion tonight. In preparing for it I have been reading some of the debates that took place in the Oireachtas during the passing of the Bill which had all-party support. Some of the best speeches were made in this Chamber. For example, the Fianna Fáil Senator Helena Concannon who was a remarkable woman captured the emotion of what was happening when she said it was "a poor Irish heart that would not feel its pulse quicken" when a Bill with the title of the "Republic of Ireland" was brought before it. She said it was proof that the death and suffering of those who had fought in 1798, 1848, 1867 and 1916 had not been in vain.

Ireland is one of the oldest continuous democracies in the world. The 1949 Act was an important stepping stone in the State’s constitutional evolution, one which is not yet complete. Today all of us in the Oireachtas follow on the same path. Recent events reminded us of the importance of national parliaments working together in the national interest. Both Houses of the Oireachtas have showed a unity of purpose in their approach to Brexit. I thank the Members of this House for their help and hard work in that regard. As Senators know, we have been working intensively across government to prepare for all eventualities, including a no-deal scenario. Members of this House played their part in assisting the swift passage of the Brexit omnibus Bill through this Chamber last month. The Bill was signed into law by the President on St. Patrick's Day. This landmark legislation which crosses the remit of nine Departments focuses on protecting Irish citizens, assisting businesses and employees and securing ongoing access to essential services and products. Our work complements the steps under way at EU level to implement measures to mitigate the impact of a no-deal Brexit.

The withdrawal agreement contains a commitment from the United Kingdom that Brexit will not result in any diminution of the rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity as set out in the Good Friday Agreement. I have discussed with the British Prime Minister, Mrs. May, the responsibilities of the UK Government under the agreement, with or without a deal. No matter what happens, there are a number of areas in which we can provide reassurance for Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland. Irish citizens living in the North will continue to be European Union citizens in all circumstances. They will continue to enjoy the right to travel, work and study freely throughout the European Union, benefiting from the important rights not to be discriminated against on the grounds of nationality while doing so. The common travel area will also be maintained in all circumstances. This will enable Irish and British citizens to continue to move freely and reside in either jurisdiction. They will continue to enjoy a range of rights and privileges in each other’s countries, including the right to live and work, as well as to access healthcare, housing, education, pensions and social benefits, with the right to vote in each other’s local and national parliamentary elections. Even in the event that there is a no-deal outcome, we will ensure people in Northern Ireland will still have access to the European health insurance card. Similarly, we will work to ensure third level students in Northern Ireland will continue to be able to access the Erasmus+ higher education programme.