Bríd Smith: Criticises Rushed EU Bill, Demands Border Business Clarity
Bríd Smith criticised the rushed passage of an EU-related bill, saying the absence of the minister was "utterly shameful" and calling for clearer protection for businesses that operate on both sides of the border. She warned that major member states have not yet signed up and argued the Dáil is being asked to approve complex legislation without proper scrutiny.
Absence of the minister
Bríd Smith described the minister's absence from the session as an insult to the House and said the timing of the debate had been raised during recess. She echoed Deputy Doherty's concern that the Dáil is proceeding "with a certain amount of blindness" because the legislation is being pushed through urgently.
Missing member-state approvals
Smith highlighted that France, Estonia and Germany had not signed up to the measure and were not expected to do so until the end of the month. She said that proceeding while key states remain unsigned increases the risks of approving complex EU arrangements without full clarity.
Concerns about scrutiny and process
Smith argued the bill required detailed examination by a sitting committee and said it was "utterly disgraceful" to push it through without proper committee scrutiny. She also referenced public unease, noting the country's experience with the European Union and the European banking system had "left a bitter taste on our mouths."
Border business funding questions
She demanded clarification on whether businesses operating on both sides of the border would be eligible for funding, noting businesses and workers in the north had suffered the same pandemic impacts and had been let down over COVID payments. In response officials said an Irish company that is owned, operated and registered in this jurisdiction and trades in the north would be eligible, but it must be an Irish-registered company because this is an EU mechanism and the United Kingdom is no longer an EU country.
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I don't want to be an irritant to you Minister and I don't expect you to apologise for it again but I think it is utterly shameful that the Minister himself, Pascal Donoghue, is not here today to take this session. I think that's an insult to the House. I understand it's because there's a Cabinet meeting but when we asked during the recess about the timing of this because it is being pushed through and as Deputy Doherty said we're going into this with a certain amount of blindness which is not a very healthy state for people who are supposed to pass legislation to be in but nevertheless we accept the blindness on the basis of the urgency and yet we were told in the recess that this has to be done and dusted, signed off by all member states, backed up by legislation before it can be enacted and still we don't have France, Estonia or Germany signed up to it and they we are told will not do so till the end of this month. Well we're sitting in this house till the end of this month and I just want to put it on the record that I think it's utterly disgraceful that we're pushing it through today in this manner without proper scrutiny, without a proper sitting committee that can actually scrutinise and delve down into this very very complex bill. Because the point was made about Germany looking for a lot of funding, well I've no particular axe to grind with Germany but the experience in this country of the European Union and the banking system within Europe has left a bitter taste on our mouths and for us to go into this without being able to scrutinise it properly I think is very very unwelcome, unfortunate and may not be at the end of the day the most healthiest thing we've ever done in this parliament but I just would like to also echo the question asked by Deputy Doherty, I don't think it was sufficiently answered, will there be funding available to businesses that operate on both sides of the border or are we excluding businesses because as was said people on the north side of the border were forced out of the EU against their will and suffered the same pandemic as the rest of us and may straddle both sides of the border in terms of their economic activity as workers have done and were let down in terms of the COVID payment, are we now saying that businesses who operate on both sides of the border are also going to be left out in the cold? That needs to be clarified, it's hugely important as are many other questions that we have about this that we come to in other sections. Cor Van Gogh first Deputy Ministerraf Olegar R Smalls of €1yn Yes, thank you Deputy Smith I know the frustration that you echoed and I appreciate it and I accepted it it is not a position that I am exactly over in awe with either I but I think there was an appreciation that the business committee set out to try to and put in place the legislative agenda between now and the recess identified as a priority piece of legislation it was identified is my understanding i could be wrong that it was identified as a priority piece of legislation in the absence of a finance committee so it was in that context that it was taken and it was the business committee did order the scheduling of it and again it's unfortunate um i just checked with the officials there again if it's an irish company that's um owned operated and registered and everything else here in this jurisdiction and trades in the north and it will be eligible but it has to be it can't be owned operated registered and everything else is to say not to the bar because that's a different jurisdiction in the same way as you're going to have irish companies sme companies that trade with united kingdom into the future and trading with united kingdom will not debar them from accessing the funding but they have to be irish companies because this is a european union mechanism and the united kingdom will no longer be a european union country
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