Seanad debates

Tuesday, 1 October 2019

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is good to be back in the refurbished Seanad and I wish everyone well for the new session. I thank all Members for their contributions this afternoon. It is very clear we all share the same concerns and, for the most part, we have the same objectives in addressing those concerns. As we get ever closer to a possible no-deal position on Brexit on 31 October, it is essential we continue to work together to face the challenges that Brexit poses for Ireland, and to again stress how important and welcome is the ongoing support and engagement from all political parties. I specifically thank the Members of this House for their assistance in passing the Brexit omnibus Act, which contains the essential legislative provisions we need to have in place immediately in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

A no-deal Brexit in just 30 days remains a very clear and significant risk. A week from now, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, will outline the details of the budget for 2020, which has been prepared on the basis of a Government assessment of the implications of a possible no-deal position. This is not because we are resigned to this being the outcome but rather because it is the most prudent way to prepare. Despite the extensive media coverage of the United Kingdom's recent domestic political developments, the fundamentals of Brexit remain the same and our requests have not changed. We can say that we, as part of the European Union, have been clear and consistent in the more than three years in which these negotiations have taken place.

Ireland and our EU partners stand by the withdrawal agreement but are committed to finding a way forward. We are open to hearing any credible and fully worked out proposals that the United Kingdom has, although these must achieve the same aims as the backstop. They must avoid a hard border. After what we heard and saw last night, I took out the withdrawal agreement and went through some of the specific chapters, and there is a very clear commitment not just to avoid a hard border but also any related checks and controls. We need to protect fully the Good Friday Agreement and North-South co-operation. The United Kingdom has identified at least 152 areas of such co-operation. We need to preserve the all-island economy. The reference to protecting the all-island economy in the letter to the President of the European Council, Mr. Donald Tusk, is not very strong and it has been omitted from much of the commentary. We must also protect the integrity of the Single Market and Ireland's place in it. As Senators have outlined, this is not just about trade or business, as has often been referred to; this is about people's lives and communities, working together and co-operation that has evolved in the 21 years since the Good Friday Agreement. We should also remember it is also about people's identity.

We welcome the intensification of discussions between the UK and the European Commission. The Commission has clearly stated, however, that the proposals that have been set out to date, particularly in the non-papers, fall very short of satisfying the objectives of the backstop and everything I have just outlined. Senator Higgins asked about the support of the European Commission. It has not changed and it will not change. Even in the past hour, any suggestions from Bloomberg that the EU had been looking at a time limit for the backstop have been met with confirmation that this is simply not the case and the position will not change.

Any request for, or consideration of, any extension by the EU or individual member states must come from the British Prime Minister. Without any specific request, it is not something we can discuss or collectively agree. We must wait and see what happens in the next two weeks. The Benn Act in the United Kingdom legally requires the British Prime Minister to seek that extension but the position has evolved in a very unpredictable way in the past few weeks. We will have to wait to see how that progresses.

As the Taoiseach stated after his recent meeting with Prime Minister Johnson in New York, there remains a very significant gap between what the United Kingdom is putting forward and what Ireland and the EU can accept. That is still the case as of today. With just 30 days to a possible no-deal Brexit and only 16 days until the European Council, or two weeks to the General Affairs Council on which I sit and which prepares the agenda for the EU, the UK must match its stated aspirations with real and credible proposals. A no-deal outcome will never be the EU's or our choice. It is the United Kingdom's responsibility to come forward with legally operable solutions that are compatible with the withdrawal agreement. Neither Ireland nor the EU can move away from an agreed negotiating position to unknown and untested concepts. The idea that what we have now - a legally binding solution - would be removed and replaced with further promises or commitments that are not legally binding is not something we can accept.

Our focus since the United Kingdom referendum result has been on securing a deal to ensure the closest possible relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom but we are also working to try to mitigate any effects that Brexit would have on our economy and citizens. Brexit is a serious challenge for our nation but we do not face it alone. We must remember that we are acting from a position of strength and as a member of a family of 27 member states. We welcome the publication of the Commission's Brexit preparedness communications at the start of September, which is the sixth version of its communications, the first of which was published last December. This includes key proposals to roll over the timelines for existing contingency measures in essential areas, such as aviation, rail, road transport for passengers and freight. Essentially, the six-month timeframe given last April will be extended beyond 31 October in the even there is no deal. The Commission has also outlined proposals for the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to be made available to support EU workers who are made redundant as a consequence of a no-deal Brexit. These are just some of the examples of the EU's very clear commitment to protect citizens across Europe from what would be some of the worst implications of a no-deal Brexit.

At home, Departments and agencies have been addressing the challenge likely to be posed by Brexit. Our contingency action plan, first published in December 2018 and which has been consistently updated, has documented in an up-front fashion the risks posed by Brexit. We are very clear that the impact would be serious and even in the event of a deal, we must be clear that Brexit will mean change. In the event there is no deal, that change will be much more significant. The Brexit omnibus Act signed into law on 17 March ensures we have additional staff, infrastructure and information technology facilities in place, including at ports and airports. We have used the time afforded by the extension last April to extend and refine preparations, particularly in encouraging businesses and citizens to prepare.

Since July, the Revenue Commissioners have written to over 100,000 companies that traded with the United Kingdom in 2018 and 2019, and over 25,000 of those have to date received direct phone calls to offer advice on the next steps. Even now, many more businesses will receive those phone calls in the coming weeks. Based on trade values, 97% of those companies which have exported in recent times to the UK and 90% of those which have imported from the UK have the economic operator registration and identification, EORI, number. That demonstrates how hard the Revenue Commissioners have been working and also that people are responding to the issue. There has been a large focus on the EORI number but it is only the first step for many businesses in preparing for the changes that could be brought by a no-deal position.For example, they need to decide who will complete their customs declarations. We are talking about going from just over 2 million declarations to as many as 20 million. This is not something that business is used to or has had to do for some time. Some businesses have never had to do it. There is clear information on the www.gov.ie/brexitwebsite outlining the steps people can take. Since 16 September, local enterprise offices have used weekly slots on a number of local radio stations nationwide to provide information on getting businesses ready for Brexit.

Regarding the specific questions on medicines, the Department of Health, the HSE, our medicines agency and various private sector organisations have been meeting regularly. I believe they will meet again this Thursday. They have stated clearly that, at any given stage, there is an eight to ten-week buffer in the supply of all medicines. Even with the landbridge, which we will have difficulty in controlling if there is a no-deal Brexit, that buffer will remain. Ensuring the short-term supply of certain medicines will present a challenge, but that challenge exists currently even without the risk of Brexit. That private and governmental agencies have been working together closely is important.

I cannot give an exact answer about breast milk supply. That a memorandum of understanding on the common travel area has been signed means that people will still be able to access funding and supports, including medical supports, North and South, east and west. I will revert to the Senator with greater clarity on this specific issue.

The question of what Horizon 2020 will look like for universities was raised. The backstop is not the only element of the deal, as it also addresses citizens' rights and the financial settlement. There is still a year and a half left in the current EU budget. As such, the deal would cover the continuation of any project that has been agreed and financed through Horizon 2020 in collaboration between universities on this island or in Britain. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, however, much of this will boil down to what the UK is willing to continue co-funding. There is no suggestion that those projects should have to stop, but there would have to be an element of co-funding, and that will depend on what the UK Government is willing to fund and on its engagement with the universities in question. We do not want to see a reduction in that engagement and co-operation between universities North and South, east and west. A large amount of engagement has taken place between various bodies on both islands.

I have outlined a snapshot of what has been happening and how businesses will be impacted. A large-scale campaign to inform citizens about the impact of a no-deal Brexit started this week. Our contingency planning will continue to intensify until 31 October. In next week's budget, the Minister will have €900 million of additional funding to spend. Divided between 15 Departments, it becomes much smaller, but it will be focused on Brexit contingency for those most in need. I do not have the details, but the Minister will fill Members in next Tuesday.

A number of Senators have discussed the uncertainty surrounding the arrangements for the Border in a no-deal scenario. That is the question being raised most frequently. I understand the concerns of Senators and the fact that we need to accept that we are only a month out. Since day one, however, central to the Government and EU's approach to Brexit has been the need, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, to protect the Good Friday Agreement and prevent the reintroduction of infrastructure that would in any way cause a security risk or threat, and to protect the Single Market and our place in it. It is important that we try to, and reach, these twin objectives. We are working intensively with the European Commission to try to find solutions that will best serve the objectives, but we are not there yet and we are still working through it. As people understand, they will be difficult to achieve, but we are determined to do so.

The Single Market is not just about our trade with Europe, which is substantial in its own right, but about our access to more than 50 other markets through the EU's free trade agreements. This is why Irish butter can be found on supermarket shelves in Germany and South Africa. Being a part of the Single Market means opportunity, advantages and protections for our citizens and businesses. That is why we are so insistent on protecting it as well as the Good Friday Agreement and the invisible border that currently exists.

While Brexit will mean some changes on the island of Ireland, the Government has worked to try to minimise the impact on citizens. The Irish and British Governments have committed to ensuring that the common travel area will be maintained in all circumstances. The common travel area, which dates back to the 1920s, is a mixture of various agreements and allows Irish and British citizens to move and reside freely in either jurisdiction. It enables us to access the range of associated rights and privileges in one another's country. This will continue after Brexit, which is an important message for people to hear and understand. Irish citizens in the UK and British citizens in Ireland have the right to reside, work, study and access healthcare, social welfare and other public services in one another's country as well as to vote in certain elections.

In 1973, we joined what is now the EU on the same day as the UK on the basis of a referendum that, as many have mentioned, was supported by 83% of Irish voters. Recent polling indicates support for the EU to be as high as 93%. When we ask our young people, it is as high as 97%. People recognise the crucial role that the EU has played in our development as a nation and how important it is for our future. Brexit is not a development that we wanted, but we respect the decision of the UK to leave. Similarly, the UK must respect the fact that the EU has the right to protect its businesses and citizens and that Ireland, as a member state, has the right to protect its citizens, industry and economy.

The withdrawal agreement remains the best way to ensure an orderly Brexit. It is a fair and balanced outcome that addresses the key concerns of both sides. It allows us to move on to build the strongest possible relationship between the UK and the EU after the former's departure.

Many have suggested moving in the direction of a border poll. While I understand the basis on which some of the political parties are working in that regard, it is not the right time, given the severe sensitivities and complexities of where we find ourselves. The question will most likely be asked within my lifetime, but it should not be used as a means to an end in the context of Brexit. Our focus should be on re-establishing the institutions in Northern Ireland and ensuring that there is a strong voice and representation for the North's people.

In negotiating the agreement, the EU demonstrated a significant degree of flexibility and compromise. We have always negotiated in good faith. Not one of the EU 27 wants a no-deal Brexit. The approach from the EU has been clear and consistent throughout and has Irish interests at its heart. Whatever Brexit scenario we face, we will face it with the full support of the EU 27. The Government will work together with the Oireachtas, businesses, citizens and our European partners to try to secure a future for Ireland at the heart of the EU.

I thank Senators for their support and ask for its continuance in the coming weeks.

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