Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Cosúil leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach, aithním go mbíonn an tAire i gcónaí sásta teacht os ár gcomhair chun an t-ábhar seo a phlé agus táimid buíoch as sin. I welcome the Minister and acknowledge, as the Leas-Cathaoirleach has done, his willingness always to make himself available to us for discussions on these issues.

I commend the Seanad special select committee, our Chair and my colleagues, the secretariat and all those contributors and witnesses who helped produce this important and comprehensive report. This is the second report in as many years produced by the Seanad on the impact of Brexit on the people and economies of Ireland - all of Ireland. The report, like that which preceded it, comes at a time of continuing uncertainty caused by Brexit for all the people of Ireland, irrespective of their political allegiances and where they stand on the constitutional future of our country. Both reports, in their motivation and content, highlight the national importance of the Seanad and Seanadóirí. At a time when the people of this nation needed clear and positive direction amid the fear and uncertainty heralded by Brexit, they got it from this Chamber. This leadership was reflected in the contents of the first report and the people-centred approach we took to compiling it.

In the second report, we again see the high quality of leadership in terms of content and the emphasis on listening to the experience of people affected by Brexit and presenting that experience in the final version of the report. In this compilation, we have sought to be solution-focused. The report broadly addresses a range of aspects of the economy and many aspects of people's human and civil rights. It also highlights the progress that has been made as the new structures of the withdrawal agreement and protocol are bedded in. The Seanad has demonstrated to me many times, and these reports confirm my belief, that it has a leadership and practical role to play in the constitutional debate on the future of Ireland.

I wish to highlight a number of recommendations, observations and suggestions from our report which, if implemented fully, can assist in softening the ongoing impact of Brexit across many areas of life, especially in terms of the economy and areas which threaten people's human rights and civil liberties. The first is that the committee noted the unanimous agreement of the European Council in April 2017, that the North of Ireland would, under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, automatically rejoin the EU in the event of a successful unity referendum. The people of the North voted to remain in the EU, and the desire to return to the EU as a full member is shared by unionists, nationalists and a wide range of others. This desire is reflected in one of the report's suggestions that Irish citizens in the North should have the continued right to vote in EU elections and that the Irish Government should make every effort to ensure that the interests of the people of the North are represented at EU level. The report also suggests that a dedicated structure between the North's Assembly and the EU Parliament be considered. The report also recognises the fact that the withdrawal of the UK from the EU has fundamentally altered its relationship with Ireland and the EU. Simultaneously and correctly, the report also states that good relationships between the EU and the UK and Ireland and the UK are in the best interests of all citizens and businesses. This sentiment is reflected in the commentary from those communities that live on either side of the border, from businesspeople and from elected representatives.

It is the view that trust and certainty are missing because of the tension generated by the bad-faith stance of the British Government and its negotiators. As the report states, however, significant improvements have occurred in the operation of the protocol. We must all acknowledge that. For example, it has ensured that the North remained in the EU Single Market for goods, when England, Scotland and Wales did not. This means there is no trade border in Ireland and that goods will flow from the North to the South as before Brexit, with no customs checks or tariffs. All the people of Ireland benefit from dual access to the EU Single Market and the UK's internal market. We have seen the substantial boom in trade as referred to by other colleagues, on an all-Ireland basis. There are many statistics to back this up.

Alongside the progress that has been made in dealing with economic-related matters are issues of concern regarding asylum seekers, non-EU migrants, refugees, the Travelling Community and the free movement of non-Irish and non-British citizens. There is already concern about the increase in racial profiling for some sections of society while travelling within the common travel area. I have raised that issue in this Chamber on a number of occasions. Further concern will arise if the British Government introduces an electronic travel authorisation system for people travelling from the South to the North. I have raised the issue of the British Borders and Nationalities Bill in this House previously. I again urge the Government in the strongest possible terms to be alert to the negative implications of this legislation on people here in Ireland. The matter must be addressed. The Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, met the British Home Secretary either this week or last week. Were the Irish Government's concerns raised at that meeting? What efforts has the Minister for Foreign Affairs and his Department made to raise concerns about this legislation and its impact in Ireland?

I also commend the huge efforts of the health services, North and South, to ensure that people in need of it have continued access to cross-Border healthcare. This report confirms the long-held belief that in the face of adversity people rally and are at their best when they are united in pursuit of a solution to a problem not of their making. There is unity in this Chamber, the Dáil and among most of the parties and people of the North and its assembly, between the Irish Government and the EU, and a pathway is now clear to a destination which settles the Brexit crisis as it affects Ireland. While there is some distance left to travel to the destination, this report is shining a light on that pathway.

The range of work and engagement our special select committee on Brexit has undertaken and the comprehensive work we have compiled in the report show that the Seanad is an ideal place to locate issues of such significance. We should actively use the example of this experience and play an active and positive role in researching, in engaging and in helping to plan for other matters of fundamental importance in our lives and the life of our country, not least the growing demand for responsible planning and strong leadership towards future constitutional change. I would like to finish by again acknowledging the steadfast leadership and work of our Chair, fellow committee members and, in particular, the clerk, Mr. Christy Haughton, and the secretariat. It has at times been a difficult experience when one understands and fully appreciates, if one can, the vast implications of Brexit on our lives. Again, as I said in the course of my contribution, I hope it has been a worthwhile one. I hope this piece of work will be of positive use to the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and his officials as they continue to navigate the unwanted problems faced by us all as a result of Brexit.