Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and acknowledge that he is always willing to come to the Seanad for debates such as this. I commend the Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on its work over the course of the last 12 months in preparation for its final report. I highly commend Senator Chambers. I know how passionate she was about this matter and how much work she put into it. I was sorry to leave the committee when I did. Well done to the Senator on all of the great work she has done.

The report presented is reflective of the thorough and diverse discussions that took place in the committee's sessions. I hope the Government will act on its many useful recommendations.

When we speak about Brexit and its implications for the island of Ireland we are often inclined to focus on the economic losses or gains or the implications for trade across the Border. Obviously, these are hugely important issues and we need to spend time on them to ensure we iron out the many kinks caused by Brexit. However, we often do so at the expense of examining the impacts of Brexit on the lived experience of those living in the North of Ireland and the Border counties. That is, ultimately, what is at risk with Brexit and the destabilising of the hard-earned peace on the island of Ireland. We ought to remember that this is what is at stake at every opportunity.

In pursuing Brexit in the way that it did, the United Kingdom undermined the progress made on this island in the years since the Good Friday Agreement. As I have said many times, the United Kingdom chose a very dangerous path and it must be prepared to deal with the consequences. It appears to me that the ongoing deliberations regarding the protocol and the ever looming threat of Article 16 being invoked demonstrate that the United Kingdom is in total denial about these consequences. I know the Minister has been very dedicated to upholding the Good Friday Agreement. I commend him and his Department on the work they have done in recent years in undertaking to protect the agreement and peace on the Island of Ireland.

As the committee rightly noted in its report, despite there being different perspectives on the Northern Ireland protocol, it stands to have a transformative effect "for Northern Ireland in a positive way". There are opportunities to be taken advantage of and we should acknowledge this fact. We know that Brexit has caused damage to the North of Ireland in spite of the objections of the majority of those who voted in the Brexit referendum in the North. The protocol offers some mitigations and it is vital that this potential is realised in full.

Concerns have been expressed in the report about the serious human rights and equality implications of Brexit. The report identified the need for further work to assess the impact in this area. This work needs to be undertaken as a matter of urgency and the human rights and equality commissions and civil society in both Ireland and the North have a particularly significant role to play in this matter.These organisations want to make use of the protections within the protocol as it relates to human rights and equality, but they need to be actively engaged in the conversation.

The committee is right to stress the need for the voices of those from the North to be heard and amplified, including at EU level. We have a duty here in Ireland to ensure that this happens, especially given our influence in Europe and the democratic deficit that now exists in the North. In my view, the voices of people in the North were lost in the discussions on Brexit and we must ensure that this is not replicated as we deal with Brexit’s repercussions. The Government ought to focus on the issue of voting rights specifically.

I welcome the report’s acknowledgement of the unique impact that Brexit has had on the Traveller community. The Border represents a wholly different concept for this community because of the nomadic lifestyle they enjoy, and it is important that we consider how Brexit will impact their freedom of movement. I welcome that the report speaks to the unique position of other minority groups in the North, including refugees, asylum seekers and non-EU migrants. It is imperative that there is no divergence between Ireland and the North in terms of equality rights, and I concur with the committee's recommendation that solutions to this issue must be discussed and implemented without delay.

As we bed into life post-Brexit, the implications of the United Kingdom leaving the EU are becoming increasingly apparent. It is a highly complex issue that will continue to have an impact on life on this island for many years to come. This report highlights, yet again, that even when faced with the negative implications of Brexit, this island has the capacity to find solutions and work collaboratively together for the benefit of all. There are several recommendations that helpfully emphasise deeper co-operation on our shared island, including on matters such as health, education and transport. It is time for us to make progress in conversations that envisage what a new Ireland could look like in future. Let us begin to plan for this future; I know the Minister and his Department are already doing that. We need a new Ireland that is a warm house for all on our shared island.