Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is welcome. We live in extraordinary times. Who would have thought that a man such as John Major would describe his party leader as acting to break his word, break treaties and break the law? That was a huge and ringing condemnation of his party and government. It is important to understand why the British Government is acting the way it is. It is clear that it is trying to hold its electoral coalition together, in England in particular, by constantly painting the EU as this bogeyman and monster that is threatening Britain and its newfound "freedom". Unfortunately, it is clear that Boris Johnson is prepared to use the North as collateral damage and he has been doing so for years. It waxes and wains, agreements are made and broken and the issue is constantly wound up whenever there is a prospect of coming to an agreement. That is done purely for domestic reasons. I respectfully disagree with Senator Ward as my recollection is that the British generally have not acted with honour in history, certainly not in this country.