Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is always great to get a warm welcome from a fellow Kerry man. I thank the Leader for outlining the Order of Business today.

At present, it is all things Brexit and Brexit-related. I know the Government has made strong representations to the British Government on the court case yesterday. The matter has been raised many times in this House by Senator Ó Donnghaile, among others. I refer to the entitlement in the Good Friday Agreement of every citizen on this island to identify as British or Irish, or both, as a person so chooses. The verdict in yesterday's court case stated that one would automatically be a British citizen in Northern Ireland, whether one chose it or not. That is not within the spirit and certainly not within the letter of the Good Friday Agreement. The situation must be rectified. Otherwise, those in Northern Ireland who would classify themselves as being Irish must go through a legal process to say that they are not, in fact, British. When one puts it in the context of Brexit, it outlines the need for clarity to be brought to the issue because identity has been highlighted as one of the key concerns on both sides when it comes to the future of this island and a united Ireland, as Senator Norris and others have pointed out. We must respect identity and make sure people are protected. The court case and this ruling are of concern to everybody on this island and must be challenged.

Brexit is ever with us. We have had numerous debates on it. In the past 15 minutes, the chief negotiator of the EU, Michel Barnier, has pointed out that the British proposals to leave the EU are simply not good enough. He said they are not there yet. He makes a good point when he says it is high time to turn good intentions into legal text. He points out that it must be done by this evening in order to be ready for it to be ratified at the meetings of the Heads of State and of Government on Thursday and Friday. There is also next week and there is also an opportunity for the UK to seek an extension, despite its domestic issues, in order for this to be done correctly, because when the UK leaves, it will do so permanently. Moreover, it must also leave in a way that makes sure that the peace on this island is sustained and maintained.As pointed out by the Chief Constable of the PSNI and others, we know that in the event of a return to a hard border, there will be a return to violence of this island. The only issue will be its scale. I hope we all agree that this is not something we wish to return to.

I welcome to the Visitors Gallery my niece, Cliona Daly, and her friend, Freddy, who are here on work experience. They have been working very hard all week and will continue to do so, as will we.