Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Congressman Neal is most welcome to the Seanad. On behalf of Fianna Fáil, I extend a céad míle fáilte to him on the momentous occasion of his significant address to the House at a time when we need his support.

As Congressman Neal will be aware, his address will have been watched and viewed by many, not just on this island but further afield. In 2016, when the Brexit referendum took place, and we all assumed it would go a different way, I am sure we recall how we felt when the result of that vote finally came through. We knew the change would be seismic and significant, and that we had a long road ahead of us as a country. At that time, the US rowed in behind Ireland, as did other EU member states. Make no bones about it, that left the UK under no illusion as to what that meant for us. The US ensured that we, as a small country, would not be bullied and left behind in what was going to be a significant change for us.

We have been through a lot in this process. It has been six years. During that time, we found ourselves with a negotiated agreement and an international treaty that was signed up to by the United Kingdom. Part of that included the Northern Ireland protocol. It is worth remembering that was the result of years of detailed and extensive negotiations by those on all sides in a process which, as I have stated previously, everybody went into with eyes wide open. They knew exactly what was being agreed and, because of that, I take great offence and absolutely reject the suggestion by the United Kingdom that it signed up to what was agreed under duress. That is simply not the fact, not the truth and it is not correct.

Congressman Neal gave us the great honour and privilege of addressing the Seanad Brexit committee in December 2020. He was one of that committee's first witnesses. His comments were significant and made a major difference to the negotiations that were well under way at that point and that remain ongoing. During that address, he stated: "a trade agreement without the support of the Chairman of the US Congressional Committee on Ways and Means [Congressman Neal] and the Speaker of the House [Nancy Pelosi] is just not something that can happen." He could not have been clearer and that was a very strong statement to make at that time. He went on to say that "a bilateral trade relationship with the United States and the UK is desirable - it would be good for both sides - but not at the expense of jeopardising the Good Friday Agreement." Again, he could not have been clearer. That was a significant statement.

Congressman Neal also said that he often heard people refer to there being two communities, but that he always pointed out there is one community and two traditions. He always trod very carefully. I am always struck by his passion for Northern Ireland and for Ireland, and by his depth of knowledge of the issues facing this island. He said we must "lead by the power of our example, not the example of our power". He was quoting former President Bill Clinton when he made those comments. That is a very strong message to send out to those who are at the negotiating table today. There is a major responsibility on his shoulders to ensure that we do not jeopardise the Good Friday Agreement and that we maintain good relations - North-South, east-west and between the UK, Ireland and the European Union.

I will also quote former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern when he recounted his experiences negotiating the Good Friday Agreement. He said we also needed a new ethos, "an ethos of tolerance, reconciliation, equality and mutual respect - to underpin the agreement". Those words ring true again today. We need those same things to underpin this new agreement between the UK and the European Union. Congressman Neal alluded to this in stating that concluding the Good Friday Agreement involved difficult choices for the negotiators in having to accept unpalatable elements of the agreement in recognition of their importance to others. The point he made about all sides giving up something significant to get that agreement showed the power of politics and the power of compromise. There is nothing to be ashamed about in compromising, reaching agreement and in everybody giving a little.

If I could give one message to Congressman Neal while he is in the Chamber, it is to keep doing what he is doing in continuing to support Ireland's cause in the Brexit negotiation. I have a message for those who are at that negotiating table today: we want an agreement, we want compromise and we want flexibility. I say that not just to those parties in Northern Ireland and the UK, but to the EU as well. It is important that those on all sides are flexible and are ready and willing to compromise.