Brendan Smith Calls for Quick Protocol Deal to Protect Trade
Brendan Smith urged a timely resolution to negotiations on the protocol and issues arising from Brexit, stressing the need to protect cross-border trade and safeguard jobs. He recalled engagement by members of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly with the minister who visited Dublin in August and said the minister had been there to listen to concerns.
Engagement with the minister
He said members of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly had useful meetings with the minister in August, describing how the minister met different parliamentary groups and signalled he was there to listen and take concerns away.
Follow-up from the Northern Ireland office
Smith said he sincerely hoped the engagement would be followed up by the minister's successors in the Northern Ireland office so that the dialogue continued beyond the August meetings.
Cross-border business concerns
He described the area he represents as having huge cross-border trade, with enterprises situated both north and south of the border that depend on an all-Ireland business model and do not want interruptions to trade.
Access to the single market and jobs
Smith emphasised that businesses want unfettered access to the single market regardless of political outlook, and he argued that resolving protocol issues would help people get on with daily business and protect and grow jobs.
Taoiseach's response
The Taoiseach agreed with Smith's assessment and acknowledged that the minister had done constructive work over August in meeting different organisations.
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Taoiseach, I welcome your comments in regard to hopefully that there can be a satisfactory outcome without much delay to the negotiations in regard to the protocol and the issues arising from Brexit. Could I just put on the record of this House that a number of us who are members of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly had useful engagement with Minister Conor Burns during the month of August. He was here in Dublin and he met different groups, different parliamentary groups and he really put the clear message to us that he was here to listen, to listen to our concerns and bring them back. So, we sincerely hope that what he was indicating to us that that would be followed on by his successors in the Northern Ireland office. And, Taoiseach, the area that I represent, thankfully today we have huge cross-border trade, we have enterprises that are situated both north and south of the border, they depend on an all-Ireland business, they do not want interruptions to business, equally they want unfettered access to the single market. So, people, regardless of their political outlook, they want these issues dealt with so that they can get on with daily business and protecting and growing jobs. Thank you. Deputy Smit, I would agree with you and Minister Conor Burns did a lot of constructive work over August in meeting with different organisations, of that there is no doubt. Deputy Smit, I would agree with you and Minister Conor Burns is the right out of society. Deputy Smit, I would agree with you. Deputy Smit, I would agree with you. Deputy Smit, I would agree with you.
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