An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-23
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Conor Murphy (SF), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I also congratulate Senator Ahearn on his elevation to his new position. Having got to know him over the 18 months I have been here, I have no doubt that he has the qualities that will make him a good Leader of the House and I look forward to working with him in the time ahead. I like to think that my refraining from showering praise on him last week, from a Sinn Féin perspective, might have assisted in securing the job for him, so I am glad I held my tongue at that time. As I said, I have no doubt that he will make a good Leader.
In that context, this week marks the tenth anniversary of Brexit, an experience that none of us holds any deep sense of contentment in remembering. It was a project brought to us by English nationalism and essentially far-right politics in England. Unfortunately, it was supported by the DUP at the time, which wanted to see the hardest possible Border in Ireland. It was a project that was brought forward with no thought for the impact that Brexit would have on either part of this island. The chaos of it continues to unfold. We are now on the sixth or seventh Prime Minister in almost as many years; I have lost count, as many will have. In normal circumstances, we might tell our neighbours to get on with their business and wish them well, but that continuing unfolding of chaotic politics and lurch to the right has an impact on both parts of this island, but particularly on the North because the British Government still holds jurisdiction there.
As we move towards the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and recognise the contribution it made in a very positive way, not just to relationships in the North, but on the island and between Ireland and Britain, we can see the stark contrast with what Brexit brought us. The potential contained in the Good Friday Agreement is for constitutional change and a settling of the unfinished business of Ireland on this island, through referendums. I ask the Leader, therefore, to encourage the Government to begin the necessary discussion with the British Government. Who knows who might make up the British Government in three years' time - if it happens in three years' time - when there is a general election? If, God forbid, it is a Farage-led Government, we could be into the possibility of a referendum being called on a whim to satisfy some other need that is not present with us.
The Brexit experience tells us what can happen when things are moved in a chaotic way. Therefore, I ask the Leader to encourage the Government, when a new Prime Minister is in place - it seems likely to be more of a coronation than an election - to begin serious engagement and discussion, because what happens on the island of Britain has an impact on us on this island, particularly in the North. We need to make sure that we do our best to ensure the smooth transition to unity on this island that we all desire in the time ahead and that it is done in an orderly fashion and with good relations with our nearest neighbours.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-23