To respond to the previous contribution, the Government, specifically the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, have been very low key about this, and purposely so, to allow room and space for those who have difficult decisions ahead of them. I welcome the British Cabinet's decision but I fully realise the difficulties that lie ahead.

I had a short meeting this morning with the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and I am delighted that letters will issue to more than 79,000 pensioners to inform them that they will receive a correction to their income, which was adversely affected by changes in the 2012 Act. I have raised this issue numerous times and I welcome this development. There will also be back pay to March last.

I raise another issue that I have also raised several times previously. It relates to rural planning and a ruling by the European Court of Justice that a local-only rule introduced in Flanders was illegal and no longer pertinent or allowed. I have called several times for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to inform the House what his plans are for new directions and guidelines on this matter to be issued to local authorities. Many people who are in the middle of a planning application or have just been granted planning permission are wondering whether their permission will stand up to legal scrutiny. They are in a kind of limbo. Should they go ahead and buy a house? Will a bank give them a mortgage to build the house for which they have been granted permission? Others who wish to return to the rural areas from which they come to keep their communities vibrant are still being subjected to the locals-only rule, which has been found to be illegal by the European Court of Justice. I ask the Leader to call the Minister in to the House so that he can clarify the situation, outline his plans to correct this matter and give us the guidelines as soon as possible. People's lives are on hold in the middle of a housing crisis.

I raise the decision to locate a direct provision centre in a hotel in Moville on the Inishowen Peninsula. This is one of the most northerly hotels in the entire island. The specific concern is that in recent days, the Irish Refugee Council has spoken out on this matter, pointing out that the refugees in question, some of whom are mothers with children, will be required to travel regularly to Dublin for a range of reasons. These include attending interviews with the International Protection Office and appeal hearings, renewing temporary residence certificates, meeting their lawyers and attending medical appointments.

As we know, adults in direct provision receive disposable income of €20 a week. How are they expected to travel from Moville on the Inishowen Peninsula? They will need to get a bus to Letterkenny, a connecting bus to Sligo and then a bus to Dublin. This must all be done in one day because there are issues around staying overnight. This is totally impractical and it shows once again the folly of this direct provision system. I have some knowledge of this because I chaired an Oireachtas committee that looked at direct provision for a sustained period. We visited centres and met families. These are people of many nationalities, languages and religions being located in rural areas. In this case, they will not be able to travel through the North because to do so would be a criminal offence. I have the privilege, as a citizen, of travelling from the Inishowen Peninsula through the Six Counties on my way to work. They will not have that privilege and will have to circumnavigate the land mass of the island. This is totally unacceptable and unfair to the refugees. This decision is also deeply unfair to the local community, with which there has been no consultation. We have 100 refugees moving to Moville in two weeks without community supports or additional resources being provided. The Minister stated on local radio that a friends of refugees group would be set up but no extra resources would be provided and no consultation has taken place. This is unfair to the local community and deeply unfair to the refugees and families who come here in the first place. Direct provision is a very bad system and it is getting worse. The all-party committee made recommendations and I have not seen any changes. The situation is getting worse.

I am pleased that agreement has been reached between the EU and UK negotiators. We sought to protect the peace process and Good Friday Agreement and maintain the common travel area and related benefits for Irish and British citizens. We have to ensure that we are at the place in Europe where we can protect jobs and the economy. The Republic of Ireland did not vote for or want Brexit.

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Theresa May has been true to her word. She has worked extremely hard to keep all of the factions together and I hope in the coming weeks and months that we will get an agreement. We are working in a committed way with the UK Government.

My message to Ulster Unionists is that our approach was not in any way to threaten. It was merely to protect the Good Friday Agreement and everything that is included in it.

I thank again all of the other political parties. Worked as a team in the interests of our country and our citizens, both here and in Europe. A bad deal for the United Kingdom was a bad deal for Ireland and we are in a much better space today.

Today is also the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement which aimed to bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It gave the Irish Government an advisory role in Northern Ireland while confirming there would be no change in the constitutional position of Northern Ireland unless the majority of the people agreed to join the Republic. It did improve co-operation between the British and Irish Governments which was a key creation of the Good Friday Agreement. That is something we have to acknowledge today. Thirty three years ago we did not have those relationships. Those relationships have been built up in the past 33 years and the Leas-Chathaoirleach would know that the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly has members from all parties and we have to ensure those relationships are improved and enhanced and worked upon because now we need them more than ever. Today is a good day. However, I think the coming weeks will tell how good it is.

I take my lead from our leader, Senator Ardagh. The situation with Brexit is fraught at present and probably the less said the better. I agree with Senator Feighan that there has been a remarkable consensus of the main political parties in their approach to the important and sensitive issue, an issue which will define our time this term in the Seanad. I hope the Taoiseach will not regret his statement yesterday when he said that it was a good day to be in politics. I thought that was a bit previous and I thought it showed a little immaturity, which perhaps is a refreshing side of his nature.

The whole focus is now on Westminster. We can look and observe and hope but with the exception of Sinn Féin there is nobody in Ireland in a position to do anything practical about it. I urge Sinn Féin to reconsider its position on Westminster. In fairness to Sinn Féin, it has come a long way. It has come into these Houses and taken part in parliamentary democracy. It refused to do that for decades.

Sinn Féin now recognises the Garda force and that there is only one Army in the country. A bit of pragmatism would be a big help and those vital seven votes might be able to come into play. I would hate to see this deal being defeated by a margin of fewer than seven votes. There would be serious repercussions for the Sinn Féin Party if that were to occur.

May I ask the Leas-Chathaoirleach whether the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, could be invited to the House at the earliest opportunity to discuss the situation in Aughinish Alumina on the Shannon Estuary. This is a significant employer, providing 480 jobs and is probably underpinning more than 2,000 support jobs. The main owner of the consortium that runs this project is a Russian oligarch, Mr. Oleg Deripaska. He is one of 24 people who was listed by the US as having interfered with their elections and is therefore blacklisted. There is a very serious threat hanging over imports of the products from Aughinish Alumina as long as he is a board member. Negotiations have been ongoing. The chairman of that group, Lord Barker of Battle, announced that the group was in serious negotiations for Mr. Deripaska to reduce his holding.

The Senator knows we should not be identifying anybody.

They had been attempting to facilitate a withdrawal from hands-on involvement by Mr. Deripaska. It looked as if it would be okay but the US Treasury Secretary announced yesterday that he is not prepared to look at the issue until January 2019. That is a sword of Damocles hanging over a significant project. I ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to intervene and come to this Chamber as soon as possible.