Final Report on Impacts of Brexit of Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2022-01-26
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Niall Ó Donnghaile (SF), Administrative Panel

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Cosúil leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach, aithním go mbíonn an tAire i gcónaí sásta teacht os ár gcomhair chun an t-ábhar seo a phlé agus táimid buíoch as sin. I welcome the Minister and acknowledge, as the Leas-Cathaoirleach has done, his willingness always to make himself available to us for discussions on these issues.
I commend the Seanad special select committee, our Chair and my colleagues, the secretariat and all those contributors and witnesses who helped produce this important and comprehensive report. This is the second report in as many years produced by the Seanad on the impact of Brexit on the people and economies of Ireland - all of Ireland. The report, like that which preceded it, comes at a time of continuing uncertainty caused by Brexit for all the people of Ireland, irrespective of their political allegiances and where they stand on the constitutional future of our country. Both reports, in their motivation and content, highlight the national importance of the Seanad and Seanadóirí. At a time when the people of this nation needed clear and positive direction amid the fear and uncertainty heralded by Brexit, they got it from this Chamber. This leadership was reflected in the contents of the first report and the people-centred approach we took to compiling it.
I would like to finish by again acknowledging the steadfast leadership and work of our Chair, fellow committee members and, in particular, the clerk, Mr. Christy Haughton, and the secretariat. It has at times been a difficult experience when one understands and fully appreciates, if one can, the vast implications of Brexit on our lives. Again, as I said in the course of my contribution, I hope it has been a worthwhile one. I hope this piece of work will be of positive use to the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and his officials as they continue to navigate the unwanted problems faced by us all as a result of Brexit.

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Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2022-01-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:50:02+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-01-26