Border communities and Brexit
After a brief Chair correction, Senator Ó Donnghaile welcomed community mobilisation against Brexit along the Border and called for the House to hear their concerns directly.
Ná bí buartha, a Chathaoirligh. Gabh mo leithscéal, bhí mé i mo chodladh ansin. Communities along the Border mobilised-----
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Ná bí buartha. Ná bíodh aon imní ort, a Chathaoirligh. Bhí mé comh lochtach mé fhéin.
At the weekend communities along the Border mobilised against the decision taken against their will on Brexit. I have raised this issue consistently in this Chamber. It was impressive and uplifting to see people beyond the realm of politics take to their feet to mobilise in a concerted way against the negative implications of Brexit.
It was good, too, to see people from across the various party political divides represented at the event.
It is critical that we in this House have an opportunity to hear directly, through the mechanism of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, from members of Border Communities Against Brexit. The campaign group is made up of representatives of the agricultural sector and farming community, the trade union movement, the community and voluntary sector, the small business sector and people involved in all aspects of civic and community life. In that context, it is astounding that the budget makes absolutely no reference to the communities along the Border and the unique and bespoke support they require, not only because they are facing difficulties as a result of Brexit but because of the generational difficulties they have faced dating back many years. Never mind the Border's failures in the broader political and economic context, it always has been a hindrance and detriment on a practical level for the people who live along it. With the imposition of Brexit on people in the North, against the will of communities, we will have a situation where some farmers will not just have parts of their land in both the North and the South but also both inside and outside the Europea Union. The case made at Saturday's rally against taking the North out of the European Union was compelling. I am sure the same arguments were replicated at rallies along the Border. I am encouraged that we have had an opportunity to debate this issue extensively and hope we continue to do so. We should take the opportunity, through the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, to hear directly from the lobby group to which I refer.