Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020
33. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had discussions in relation to Brexit with the leader of the opposition in the UK Parliament, Sir Keir Starmer, or other opposition party leaders to set out the position of Ireland and the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18554/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI too congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on her election. I know she will grace her office with distinction.
Has the Minister had discussions with the leader of the opposition in the British Parliament, Keir Starmer, about Brexit? Has he spoken with any other opposition leaders about it, given that we need allies with an understanding of Ireland's and the European Union's position?
The Taoiseach, my Cabinet colleagues and I take every opportunity to engage with our EU partners, as well as UK counterparts, as appropriate, to advance Ireland’s priorities in matters arising from the UK's withdrawal from the EU, including the EU-UK future partnership negotiations, implementation of the withdrawal agreement and the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.
While I have not had the opportunity to meet Sir Keir Starmer over recent months because of Covid, we maintained good contact during his time as the UK Labour Party’s spokesperson on Brexit. Mr. Starmer is well-informed on the issues Ireland faces due to challenges arising from Brexit. In particular, he has shown a strong understanding and sympathy regarding the need to protect the Good Friday Agreement in full and the gains of the peace process.
My engagement with key interlocutors on Brexit has continued in recent months, including recent contacts with EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, who is a regular contact, and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, ahead of the meeting of the Specialised Committee on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland on 16 July. This is in addition to the contacts being made by the Taoiseach, the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs and other members of the Government with their counterparts across the EU and in the UK. I have also spoken to the First Secretary of State, Dominic Raab, on a number of occasions.
The point the Deputy makes is a fair one. I have not had an opportunity to meet Keir Starmer or speak to him since he became leader of the British Labour Party, apart from wishing him well in a text message. My Department is planning for that conversation to take place in the weeks ahead.
I welcome the Minister's statement. It would be very useful to have a direct discussion with Keir Starmer. I had many discussions with him when he was the Brexit spokesperson for the British Labour Party, but he will be very influential now that he is the leader of that party, particularly at a time when there seems to be a growing movement within the British Government away from its official position on the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration that was solemnly agreed at the end of last year. We need people who understand the Irish and European Union position very clearly and Keir Starmer falls into that category. The Minister has indicated that he will have a direct discussion with him as soon as Covid allows, but I encourage him to also have a telephone conversation with the leader of the British Labour Party in the interim.
Has the Minister had any discussions with other political leaders on-----
I am anxious to let one more speaker in and we are running out of time. I am sticking rigidly to the time limits.
I will try to stick to them as well. I agree with Deputy Howlin. I also had a very good relationship with Keir Starmer when he was a Brexit spokesperson. We spoke regularly about the challenges of Brexit, as I also did with members of the Conservative Party. The dynamic and the numbers within the British Parliament have changed fundamentally since then. The current Government has a significant majority and we need to focus primarily on the people who will be making decisions, with the majority to pass them, in the British Parliament to ensure Ireland's interests are fully understood. That said, Keir Starmer's role as leader of the Opposition is a hugely important one and he is a very impressive leader of the British Labour Party. It is my intention to travel to London when I can to meet a number of senior UK politicians, which I hope will include the leader of the British Labour Party.
It would be very worthwhile for the Minister to do so. While he is right about the changed arithmetic in the British Parliament, if there is a growing view within the British Government that is not supportive of the withdrawal agreement, the more understanding voices we have within the British parliamentary system to articulate an alternative perspective, the better. It would be worthwhile for the Minister to have direct discussions and clarify any points of misunderstanding with all parties in the British Parliament. I strongly encourage him to do that.
To make one thing clear, while some voices in the Conservative party may be questioning the withdrawal agreement, this is an international treaty to which the British Government has signed up. I have certainly not seen the Prime Minister or Michael Gove move away from the commitments made in that agreement. It is hugely important to state that while there may be some views that question the sense of the withdrawal agreement, after it has been signed, this is a legal agreement between the EU and the UK and it was signed only six months ago, or just over that. The focus has to be on the implementation of the withdrawal agreement and not on some kind of renegotiation, which is not possible. More importantly, now, is the necessity of focusing on putting a new agreement in place that is consistent with the joint political declaration, that was also agreed at the same time as the withdrawal agreement, to ensure there is a sensible relationship that works for the UK and the EU in the future.
I will just get in one last question. I call Deputy Costello.
