Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to thank Sinn Féin for proposing this motion. In a previous life, I worked on the hard Border in the early 1990s prior to the ceasefires in armed support operations for An Garda Síochána. As a young man from Dublin with no experience of living along the Border, it was immediately apparent to me that any border on this island makes no sense for socioeconomic or cultural reasons and even from a narrow military or security perspective it made no sense. The permanent vehicle checkpoint between Newry and Dundalk was a massive eyesore on the landscape. It had a huge environmental impact and physical presence. Who was going to drive into that checkpoint carrying weapons or ammunition? It was purely a target. It served no purpose whatsoever except to send a political and symbolic message that “You are garrisoned, you are controlled”. This ETA system reminds me of that. It is a virtual border that serves no purpose whatsoever except to inhibit freedom of movement, which is a fundamental right in the UN Declaration of Human Rights. It would frustrate economic and cultural activity as set out by the Sinn Féin Senators. We are a country that prides itself on its digital economy and our digital future which requires an international, highly mobile, highly qualified workforce. Everything about this ETA waiver would serve to have a chilling effect on that and on tourism, that is obvious. In fact I would describe it as a self-inflicted injury on the part of the British establishment.

In the mid-2000s as TheIrish Timessecurity analyst I was on one of the last British army patrols that came out of Bessbrook Mill and went on patrol along the Border area there. Then Brigadier-General Wayne Harper who accompanied me on that last patrol said to me that the dismantling of the observation post and listening posts along the Border was most welcomed by two groups in south Armagh, namely, Sinn Féin and the British army. One of the most austere and conservative elements of the British establishment saw no value whatsoever in a hard border or any of its physical infrastructure. Similarly, they would be appalled I imagine by the imposition of this virtual or digital border. That raises other questions, such as who would have the burden of enforcing this? Would it be the PSNI? Would it be the UK Border Agency?Imposing such an administrative burden on them, when they have enough to deal with in trying to promote community policing, would set back the aims of community policing and bring out unfortunate rhetoric and issues around identity that we had hoped belonged in the past. It is a completely retrograde step. Also, I wonder about anybody who accidentally, intentionally or inadvertently might find himself or herself in breach of the ETA. Would that raise a marker, a question or a cause for concern on his or her travel in other jurisdictions? There are all sorts of anticipated and unanticipated outcomes, but this seems to me to be a completely senseless provision.

Again, I thank my Sinn Féin colleagues for proposing the motion. I fully support it as an Independent Senator. I also thank the Minister for all the heavy lifting that will be undertaken in the coming weeks and months, particularly after the extraordinary outcome over the weekend. I congratulate Sinn Féin and all the other parties that experienced gains in their seat numbers.

We have a really challenging task ahead of us. I think it was reported today that it is not yet clear whether the British Government will act in partnership to resolve some of the challenges that lie ahead, but something such as this is emblematic. It is a retrograde step. Let us, therefore, hope we will be able to persuade the British Government to see reason and to move forward in step with us.