Seán Kelly (PPE). – A Uachtaráin, ba mhaith liom ar dtús buíochas rialtas na hÉireann a chur in iúl do gach uile dhuine san Aontas a chabhraigh linn. Go háirithe, an dá Uachtarán, Tusk agus Juncker, an tUasal Barnier, Guy Verhofstadt, Manfred Weber agus gach uile dhuine. Mar a dúirt Donald Tusk, ní neart go cur le chéile agus thaispeánamar é sin.

The Irish Government, and indeed all of the Irish people, are very happy at the practical and sensible agreement announced last Friday, with the protection of the Good Friday Agreement, in all its parts, the preservation of the Common Travel Area and, above all, no hard border and full regulatory alignment to make that happen, which can be worked out in Phase 2.

Also, something which has not been mentioned enough is the willingness of the European Union to continue Peace (Programme for Peace and Reconciliation) and Interreg funding into the future, post-Brexit. And mentioning Peace, we do not want a hard border because there has been too much blood spilled in Ireland over the border, with a bloody civil war and 20 years of terror. Nobody wants to go back to that, and thanks to Mr Barnier, the Irish Government and, indeed, Theresa May, that will not happen.

Finally, I would like to say also to Theresa May that we appreciate her efforts in difficult circumstances to progress matters. Hopefully, she will get the backing of all her colleagues because this is not a time for disunity. We in Ireland are totally united, the European Union is totally united, and those in the United Kingdom have to stand behind Theresa May. It is not helpful when people make statements that commitments are only statements of intent. A commitment is a commitment, a guarantee is a guarantee, and nothing else. Finally, I would tell her that there is an old Irish phrase also which says ‘is binn béal ina thost’: ‘sweet is the mouth that is silent’. She may, in her wisdom, teach some of her colleagues that old adage.