Brexit border and backstop
Deputy Mary Lou McDonald raised fears about a hard Brexit, especially any checks on goods between North and South and the impact on the Good Friday Agreement. The Taoiseach said the Government would work to avoid no deal, but could not guarantee there would be no difficult consequences if the UK crashed out.
I want to ask the Taoiseach about Brexit. The Tánaiste has described a hard Brexit as an ugly outcome and he is right. We are all very well aware of the potential catastrophe that could visit our island in such a scenario. We all agree that we cannot countenance an economic border on the island, that there can be no hardening of the Border and that the Good Friday Agreement must be protected, with our progress and peace. Therefore, I am very troubled to hear that the Tánaiste would even countenance the idea of checks on goods from the North to the South as it would fly in the face of our collective objectives. I put the following direct question to the Taoiseach and would appreciate a very direct answer. In the event that there is a crash, with no withdrawal agreement and no backstop, how will the Government ensure there is no economic border, no damage to the Good Friday Agreement and no damage to the progress we have made in the past 20 years?
Comment on this
We will do everything we possibly can, as we have in the past two years and will for the next three or four months, to avoid a crash-out, no-deal scenario. We have negotiated a withdrawal agreement and a backstop and will continue to work towards its ratification. However, I would not be telling the country and the House the truth if I said if we have no deal and the United Kingdom crashes out, I could somehow promise that we would not end up in a difficult situation and a scenario none of us wants. That is why we have to secure a withdrawal agreement and ensure we will not end up in a no-deal scenario, but I cannot make a promise that is not true.
Comment on this
A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, that was not an answer but a studied evasion.
Comment on this
I asked how, in the event that there is a crash, the Government would attain the shared objectives of there being no economic border, no hard border and no damage to the Good Friday Agreement, but we heard no straight answer.