Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am utterly disappointed and concerned, but not surprised, by the vote in the House of Commons last night to reject an amendment that was put forward by the House of Lords to make Northern Ireland exempt from provisions under the nationality and borders Bill, whereby citizens who are not Irish or British will be required to apply online for pre-travel clearance, using something like the US system of electronic travel authorisation, before entering the UK.We are talking about one of the most one of the most cherished features of life on this island post the Good Friday Agreement being utterly undermined. I refer to the free movement of everybody across our island and the invisibility of our Border, not just on the Border, on the road or on the ground but in our minds. This affects tourism, as has been highlighted by the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and in other forums. It affects education, including third level education, family life and healthcare, including emergency healthcare. This undermines all that we aspire to improve through all-island co-operation now and in the future.