Rose Conway-Walsh warns of chaos if Article 16 is triggered

Good morning and thank you Chair and good morning to everybody and thank you Lord Jay. I do think as others have said this is timely and as I was at the outset I do want to extend my condolences and our condolences particularly to our committee colleague Eimear Corey on the passing of her dad at this sad time. I listened intently this morning again to Manufacturing NI when they spoke about the protocol and how the protocol was serving them and serving to mitigate against the harshnesses and the negativities of Brexit and it is absolutely baffling to us how something that nobody across the island is calling for except for a few unionist voices and I would say a few for the protocol to be abolished. We know that there's no alternative to the protocol. We know that it's reckless and at odds with widespread public opinion in terms of trying to abolish the protocol at this stage. We do welcome what the EU have done in terms of dealing with some of the problems that were becoming transparent with protocol in relation to SBS, in relation to medicines and all of that and we feel that they were workable solutions and that there is an openness there to find other working solutions. So for our part we want we want the mechanism that's there to be able to solve these problems and to be reconvened and I mean we wait with as Lord Hayden said about the announcement that's going to be made by Lord Frost this morning but it is absolutely reckless and we're under no illusion as to the chaos that if this isn't sorted out, it will cause it will cause across this island and indeed between the islands and the relationship between the islands but not only that in terms of the US and the trade agreements for Britain as well and nobody but nobody wants that. And you know I can only concur with the words that Lord Hayden has used in terms of aggressive and bombastic move in triggering article 16 and it's not designed to find a solution and you know we at this stage we just wonder what is what is wanted, what is the end game here? You know are we solution focused? I'm glad to see everybody on this committee this morning being solution focused. I think it's important that we send out a unified voice from here and I hope that Lord Frost will listen to the people across this island and will acknowledge the good work that has been done over the years both with the Good Friday Agreement and indeed with successive agreements. But I will leave it at that I suppose not a specific question other than what else can we do in order to protect, to provide the stability and certainty that's needed across the island. Everybody here is willing to play their part. Thank you deputy and we go to the Lords then for answers and there's about 20 seconds left and we will give a little bit of attitude in difference to the Lords and I'll ask the next speaker maybe just try to get your points in and allow time within your four minutes for responses. Thank you Leigh. Lord Jay if you wish to take that and perhaps delegate it and request an answer as appropriate. Yes, I will. I'm going to ask Nuala, who I think is, I think her hand is up. Nuala, are you there? Yes, I am, Lord Jay. Would you like to comment on that? Yes, I think that the situation, I think it was Brendan Howland who described it as a fundamental fracture that would result from this. I think it's very, very important to acknowledge that the people of Northern Ireland really are not complaining about the protocol. They are finding ways to make it work. The evidence which we have received is consistent in those terms. We've heard a lot of evidence about problems, particularly on the pharmaceuticals from medicines front. But generally, people are working very hard. And I think I have to accept that the full impact of the protocol is not yet being felt because we do have these sort of emergency measures in place. But I would say that evidence shows that people are actually, there's a greater level of trade now north-south. I think one figure was 44% increase in trade north-south. That's very, very important that we are able to continue that. The question of the ECJ, I think, is one which could be resolved. Lord Thomas of our committee has suggested a possible route through that. I just can't understand why the voice of the people of Northern Ireland is not heard when the general assumption is that this must be worked through. Thank you, Lord Jay. Thank you. Thank you very much, Nuala. I'd like to make one point at this stage, because I don't think that the unionist members of the committee are present. I know Lord Empley was intending to be here. But I think I would just like to put on record their view that the protocol and the way in which the protocol is being implemented does risk causing unrest in Northern Ireland. And that is a real concern to them. But I think I just need to put that on the record if they're not present here today. I don't know whether Lord Empley is with us or not. Very good. Thank you, Lord Jay, and thank you, Baroness, for those points. I'm going to move now to the second Sinn Féin Speaker. I'm not sure if Senator O'Donoghle is coming in, or who is the second Good Friday Agreement? Speaker from Sinn Féin. Sorry, Chair, if there isn't another speaker here from Sinn Féin, maybe I could just have a minute. Well, perhaps, what I might do then is, this is the Sinn Féin Block, and after we come back around, it moves on to the other parties. But perhaps, Deputy Conway Walsh, it makes sense that you can actually get a little longer in that case, since you're taking two slides, as it were. So perhaps, do you want to take up two minutes and we'll take replies to that? Do you have that make sense? Well, I won't take up the two minutes, but what I would say is that, as a party, we want to find solutions, even at this late stage, because the consequences are so dire for this. We want to find solutions at this stage to protect businesses and to bring about stability. We have to remember as well, the protocol has provided opportunities across the island, across the north, and indeed for both in terms of foreign direct investment and in trade as well. And I think those opportunities and the possibilities under the protocol will only widen and develop as we go on and benefit all communities across the north. So I just think that that's important to remember. I'm reluctant to go down the road of talking about what if Article 16 is triggered, because that's suggesting that we're accepting it. So at this stage, I would just like to get across the point that we want to find solutions and that we will work with everybody for the stability and the certainty of all communities and businesses. And obviously the agri industry as well and farmers across the north who are expressing real concerns to us around what may happen. And we have to, I suppose, to go back to remember that the protocol is not the problem. Brexit is the problem and there's no alternative to the protocol. I'll leave it at that. OK, thank you very much, Deputy. Thank you very much.