Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Tá súil agam go bhfuil an tuairisc seo agus obair an choiste ina chuidiú dó agus é i mbun a chuid oibre, ní hamháin i dtaca leis an mBreatimeacht ach i dtaca le cúrsaí níos leithne arís.

I join with colleagues in thanking our Chair and acknowledging her work in bringing together such a comprehensive and representative body of groups and organisations, not least in the context of Covid and all of the difficulties and challenges that represented for her and the secretariat. I am very conscious of, and thankful for, their hard work in ensuring that we got to this point, when the report is before us.

I will make a couple of general points. The report speaks for itself. Colleagues have also made general points so I do not need to rehearse them. It is always important in discussions such as this to remind ourselves that there is no such thing as a good Brexit, that the people of the North rejected it and that the agreed protocol is in place to offset the negatives that have been forced upon us as a result of Brexit. It is always important to remember that as we navigate our work.

While I have nothing but the fullest respect for Senator Martin in respect of what he brings to this Chamber and, indeed, this debate, I speak to people from a unionist background all of the time who were opposed to Brexit and voted against it and who are now in favour of the protocol and acknowledge the protections and mitigations it offers to them and their communities, businesses or whatever it might be. What we hear on the airwaves or on social media is not always reflective of the truth. Anyone who took the opportunity to go around the Balmoral Show last week would have heard from farmers from all traditions who were deeply concerned at the rhetoric from the British Government in respect of Article 16 and the protocol. These farmers acknowledge the significance and importance of the protocol in protecting themselves and our all-island economy.

I will make a few points on the issue of trade and the economy. I spoke about this the other day. The figures published by the Central Statistics Office, CSO, for June show that, over the first six months of 2020, North to South trade increased by 78%, from €998 million to €1.77 billion, in comparison with the same period in 2020. South to North trade has increased by 43%, increasing from €1.1 billion to €1.576 billion. That is why we need to ensure the protocol is front and centre in protecting people. In addition to the macroeconomic issues, one of the key intentions of the committee was to ensure that citizens' voices were heard and that the issues people faced when going about their everyday lives were recognised because, unfortunately, Brexit permeates all aspects of our lives. There is no part of our lives it has not impacted upon.

Senator Currie and I tabled a Commencement matter this morning with regard to the EU digital certificate. By the way, I welcome the announcement by the Government. It is a positive and important move to allow people in the North to apply for the EU digital certificate. There were a few initial teething problems, but that was an issue for the Commencement matter. What is important is that people have retained an EU entitlement that they would have lost as a result of Brexit. I believe the committee would agree that it is important that, where the Government has the opportunity to ensure that such entitlements are upheld, it takes a proactive and effective approach to doing so. That also goes for Senator Martin's points regarding our representation and ensuring that our voices are heard at an EU level.