Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It did. I do not say it was just us because we are team in that sense. Sinn Féin has been proactive right from the get-go in addressing Brexit. We do not embrace it. I am not sure if Senator Feighan referred to that with regard to who canvassed for or supported the Remain side, but we canvassed to remain from the North also, and we used every influence that we had to ensure people saw the advantages of remaining. An interesting thing was brought up on "Sunday Politics" this week with Allison Morris and Professor Peter Shirlow. They discussed why marginalised people see the likes of Prime Minister Johnson as a saviour. I believe this is something we need to reflect upon and look at here also. People who are further marginalised and people who will really suffer as a consequence of Brexit see somebody such as this elite public schoolboy, who is propped up by Dominic Cummings, as the saviour to get them out of the poverty traps, marginalisation and exclusion zones they are in. We need to find ways, collectively, to address that.

I read Senator McDowell's document with interest on what we mean by Irish unity. I agreed with parts of it and disagreed with other parts, and there are parts I would like to discuss further. I welcome this and it is very important that people from different perspectives start to examine the issue in a serious way. Sinn Féin has produced several papers over the years, weeks and days at this stage, around Irish unity, but it cannot just come from us as a party; it also has to come from other people. That is why Sinn Féin advocates setting up the cross-party forum here - Senator Black and others have also referred to this - so we would have room and space to discuss all of these things and how we would create a new and agreed island that would serve all of the citizens. There is a responsibility on Government to do that sooner rather than later, and to issue a White Paper on Irish unity. This is not to disregard any community but we need to bring the conversation on further. I welcome civic nationalism and civic unionism getting involved in the debate. Everybody needs to be involved.It is the responsibility of the Government to set up the structures where that can be discussed.

It is ironic that the withdrawal agreement, including the backstop, would put the North in a uniquely advantageous position, and this is badly needed to address the decades of neglect I spoke about. I find it really difficult to understand why people who purport to represent these people are disregarding it. It is a way of protecting the union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. If we have empowered people and they are content with the status quoin the North, the withdrawal agreement and backstop would ensure this position. The language of the debate and argument that this will somehow affect the constitutional question if people agree to it means many lies are being told and there is not enough clear examination. We often speak about what will happen and the potential impact of Brexit. I am deeply worried about the impact of the language used, particularly by the British Prime Minister, and that it is polarising individuals, families and communities. I wonder how much that will cost us even in terms of what has been achieved in the North under the Good Friday Agreement.

We can no longer be the pawns on Mr. Johnson's and Mr. Cummings's no-deal chessboard. It is so obvious that they are playing a game. I commend the Minister of State, as well as the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the Sinn Féin Party will continue to work with them to ensure the interests of all the citizens of this island can be protected. We all have a duty to do that.