I do not have a precise answer to that but I will get one for the Deputy. Part of the budgetary process in Ireland is to ensure that there is fairness and equity as part of how we put budgets together, whether that is the taxation system, social welfare system, equality issues or housing issues, and so any budget that we put together has to be shaped by that. The new realities of life are that Brexit will shape elements of our economy in the way Covid-19 has done. The straight answer to the Deputy's question is "Ye…

It will not be the Irish Government that will be doing it; it will be the EU that will be doing it. This is an EU-UK agreement; it is not an Irish-UK agreement. We are part of something much bigger in the context of our EU membership. This is a trade and co-operation agreement that has very strong level playing field provisions in it. If it is the developing view of the EU collectively that the UK is moving away from a level playing field through regulation or policy in the UK, there are very clear mechanisms in th…

On the protocol for Ireland and Northern Ireland, there are clearly some issues that are frustrating trade. Some of them are linked to a lack of preparation beforehand and some are linked to adjusting to the new realities of bureaucracy, much paperwork, notice and engagement with port authorities and revenue commissioners. That new adjustment is something that we have seen political kickback against, particularly from some political parties in Northern Ireland. Looking at the amount of trade coming into Northern Ir…

I can respond to the Deputy, but I think it was more of a statement than a question. We know what some of the problems are and we are addressing them, one after the other. However, with respect to the Deputy, the Irish Government can only do so much for lorry drivers that are stalled in Kent. This is what happens when an economy and a country the size of the UK decides to leave a customs union and a Single Market, never mind the EU. There are new realities to trade. That is why I would encourage companies to reach …

I do not want to be unhelpful, but this session is predominantly on Brexit and its impact. The Deputy has raised some serious issues and I am sure we will have an opportunity to debate both CETA and Mercosur in this House in the months ahead. I certainly hope we will have the opportunity to do so. When it comes to Covid and the strategy we adopt, as we have done for the last year, we will continue to rely on the considerable expertise that our public health team has built up in terms of the advice that it gives us.…

The last issue is separate to what we are discussing but I will comment on it in due course. First, I am more than familiar with the challenges that many hauliers face and I have spoken to people in many haulage companies in the past number of weeks. Some are adapting to the new realities reasonably well and others are not. It is important to say that the numbers are increasing and have done so significantly in the past few days. We are at a point now where 80% of hauliers are being green-laned or green-lighted. Wh…

The air cargo bridge is an interesting concept. I certainly would not have any problem with it. If there is a demand for that, I do not see why it cannot progress. In regard to the students who arrived from Algeria, all I can say is that the advice we give in regard to international travel is that only essential travel should happen now. We have pretty strict protocols around that.

On the Deputy's last question, making online purchases from the UK is something that large numbers of Irish consumers have been doing on a daily basis, particularly throughout the Covid period when local retailers were closed because of restrictions. Even though there is much evidence that there has been very strong support for purchasing locally online, there is still a great number of platforms based in the UK from which Irish consumers make purchases. The truth is that there is now a different arrangement in pla…

I have to time my interventions. I am not sure whether Deputies want me to answer now or at the end. The Deputy and others have been raising this for many months and I have, not for the first time, said we have to wait and see what the deal looks like before having detail and clarity around what replaces what was there previously. This is the responsibility of the Department of Health but my clear understanding is that the ability to travel from the South to the North for medical operations will continue under the …

There is not a complete failure at ports. We all have a responsibility to try to address problems when they arise but not to exaggerate them for effect either. The Revenue Commissioners are working night and day with haulage companies, exporters and importers to try to help people adjust to the new system. This is a change we have been warning about for many months. Grant aid and advice have been made available and there have been hundreds of stakeholder engagements, and there continue to be with the Irish Road Hau…

There were some good questions. On the Deputy's example of the Leitrim company that, effectively, wants to bulk import because of the difficulties with individual consignments and is seeking banking facilities for that, she might send me the details and I will try to be helpful if I can. I do not want to over-promise in respect of our relationship with banks but I would be surprised if flexibility did not come from banks in respect of companies that are clearly viable but that are having temporary difficulties with…

This year on 1 January we saw the single largest change in relations between the EU and UK for many decades as the transition period ended and the new framework of the EU-UK trade and co-operation agreement took effect. This House knows all too well that Ireland is the EU member state most affected by this change. I warmly welcome that Deputies today have the opportunity to make statements on this important issue that affects all Irish citizens and businesses throughout the country. I look forward to engaging with …

I see we have a packed House this evening.

As we find ourselves just two weeks away from a comprehensive and permanent change in the relationship between the EU and the UK, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this last sitting of the Dáil before Christmas. I promised to keep Members updated on Brexit developments and I think I have kept my word. This is the 18th session of statements on Brexit that I have taken in the Dáil or the Seanad since mid-2017. In that period, the Government has also answered more than 3,000 Brexit-related parliamentary qu…

I thank all the speakers for taking the time to stay late this evening to be part of this debate. It is appreciated. I would like to think that I have always been non-party political when it comes to Brexit, in sharing information, responding to questions, inviting people to stakeholder groups and organising briefings whenever I have been asked for them. There has been great strength in the Irish position in recent years for two reasons. One is that we have had absolute unity in the Irish parliamentary system with …

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, NPT, a treaty closely associated with Ireland and the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. Ireland also ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, TPNW, this year. It will enter into force on 22 January 2021. These treaties demonstrate our long-standing leadership in this area. It is fitting that Dáil Éireann acknowledges both milestones, and …

I thank everybody, in particular the two Deputies responsible for this debate happening, Deputies Duncan Smith and Eoghan Murphy. This has been a good opportunity for people who are genuinely interested in this topic to recognise Ireland's role in disarmament over many decades. In recent years we have seen the unravelling of many international disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control agreements. The prospect of a new arms race is very real, with nuclear modernisation programmes absorbing vast resources and r…

The Bill is an essential part of getting Ireland ready for the changes we will face when the transition ends in less than one month's time. Last year, this House considered the 2019 Brexit omnibus Act, which made provision to address issues that would arise should the UK leave the EU with no deal. The conclusion of the withdrawal agreement meant that many provisions of the 2019 Act could not be commenced. Ireland strongly welcomes the certainty the withdrawal agreement brings. The protocol on Ireland and Northern I…

I will try to answer as many of the questions as I can. There is a meeting of the Seanad special select committee on Brexit tomorrow, where I will be able to go into more depth if Senators want me to in any area. I will now deal with some of the themes that arose. A number of Senators raised concerns about the need for direct ferry links to deal with congestion in ports. The concern is based on the fact that about 85% of all goods that come into and out of Ireland come via the UK land bridge. As a result, there is …

We should not be charging them any more than it costs to do it either.