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Irish taoiseach: Brexit is 'challenge of our generation' Irish taoiseach: Brexit is 'challenge of our generation'
(about 3 hours later)
The Irish taoiseach is to warn that every aspect of life in Northern Ireland could be affected by Brexit. The UK could enter into a “deep” free trade agreement with the EU if Britain leaves the single market post-Brexit, Ireland’s prime minister has suggested.
In his first visit to Northern Ireland since taking over as Ireland’s prime minister, Leo Varadkar is due to make a keynote speech at Queen’s University in Belfast. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar proposed that Britain and Ireland could have a transition period during which the UK negotiated a new trade deal with Europe.
He will meet representatives of the region’s political parties, which are struggling to reach an agreement to restore the power-sharing institutions at Stormont. In his first major speech in Northern Ireland, Varadkar stressed that there was still “common ground” between the Dublin government, London and Northern Irish parties on the issue of the post-Brexit border.
Brexit is expected to be one of the main issues on the agenda at the party talks. Speaking at Queen’s University Belfast, the Irish premier said: “For example if the United Kingdom does not want to stay in the customs union, perhaps there can be a EU-UK customs union. After all, we have one with Turkey. Surely we can have one with the United Kingdom?
Varadkar, who has been vocal in his views against a post-Brexit Irish border, will warn in his university speech that “every aspect of life” in Northern Ireland could be affected by the outcome of the UK leaving the European Union. “If the UK does not want to stay in the single market, perhaps it could enter into a deep free trade agreement with the EU and rejoin Efta, of which it was a member prior to accession. And if this cannot be agreed now, then perhaps we have a transition period during which the UK stays in the single market and customs union while things are worked out.”
“The challenge of our generation is Brexit,” he will say. “The Brexit negotiations are well under way in Brussels. And, to quote Michel Barnier, the clock is ticking. Varadkar said Brexit was the “challenge of our generation” and that every single aspect of life in Northern Ireland would be affected by its outcome.
“Every single aspect of life in Northern Ireland could be affected by the outcome – jobs and the economy, the border, citizens’ rights, cross-border workers, travel, trade, agriculture, energy, fisheries, aviation, EU funding, tourism, public services, the list goes on.” The European council meeting this October would be a “historic meeting for this island,” he said.
In October, the taoiseach will meet with the European council to discuss whether sufficient progress has been made on key issues to allow the Brexit negotiations to proceed to the next phase. “We will do all we can, in Brussels, in London and in Dublin, to achieve the best outcome for everyone on this island: to protect our peace, our freedom, our rights and our prosperity,” he added.
“The three key issues are citizens’ rights, the financial settlement and issues relating to Ireland. It is my fervent hope that progress will have been made, but I do not underestimate the challenges we face,” Varadkar will say. On the borderissue, Varadkar said the only people who wanted a trade frontier between the republic and Northern Ireland were “advocates of a so-called hard Brexit”.
“For our part, the Irish government will discharge our responsibilities as co-guarantors of the Good Friday agreement. We will do all we can, in Brussels, in London and in Dublin, to achieve the best outcome for everyone on this island to protect our peace, our freedom, our rights, and our prosperity,” he will add in his speech. Despite 14 months passing since the Brexit vote, hardliners had come up with no solutions to problems such as the Irish border, he said. The taoiseach said no one wanted to return to the days of a militarised, heavily policed border.
Varadkar will also stress the importance of hearing the voice of Northern Ireland’s elected representatives on Brexit and encourage parties to work to restore the executive. “The border itself was a very different place: a place of bloodshed and violence, of checkpoints. A barrier to trade, prosperity and peace,” he said. “A brutal physical manifestation of historic divisions and political failure.”
“We need the executive, the assembly, the north south ministerial council and the British Irish council up and running and acting in the interests of our peoples. We need that more than ever, and we need it now,” the taoiseach will add. Varadkar said he would seek to protect the benefits of the peace process in Brexit negotiations, for all the people of the island. On devolution and power sharing, he said all levels of government had to be “up and running and acting in the interests of our peoples”. He added: “We need that more than ever, and we need it now.”
Ahead of the speech, Daniel Mulhall, the outgoing Irish ambassador to the UK, outlined Ireland’s hopes for the UK to remain in the EU customs union, which allow goods to pass through the area without customs duties being levied. After his address at the university, the taoiseach will hold talks with the leaders of all the political parties in Northern Ireland including the Democratic Unionists on Friday.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Ideally, we would like to see the UK remain in the customs union. That would solve many of the problems that arise.” Relations between Varadkar’s government and unionists have been fraught in recent weeks, over the Irish stance on Brexit. A particular sticking point has been the taoiseach’s insistence that it is not Dublin’s responsibility to help the UK “redraw” the Irish border to suit pro-Brexit politicians in London and Belfast.
Mulhall said £1bn a week in trade passes back and forth across the Irish sea. Among his meetings today will be a bilateral discussion with the DUP leader, Arlene Foster.
“Ideally we would wish Britain to remain in the EU, that’s not going to happen, we’d like Britain to remain in single market, that may not happen,” he went on. Before the speech, Daniel Mulhall, the outgoing Irish ambassador to the UK, outlined Ireland’s hopes for the UK to remain in the EU customs union, which allows goods to pass through the area without customs duties being levied. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Ideally, we would like to see the UK remain in the customs union. That would solve many of the problems that arise.”
Mulhall said £1bn a week in trade passed back and forth across the Irish Sea. “Ideally we would wish Britain to remain in the EU – that’s not going to happen. We’d like Britain to remain in single market – that may not happen,” he said.
“But we think putting forward our view that remaining in the customs union would resolve many of the issues on the isle of Ireland that seems to us a practical solution.”“But we think putting forward our view that remaining in the customs union would resolve many of the issues on the isle of Ireland that seems to us a practical solution.”
On the border with Northern Ireland, the ambassador said a so-called hard border was not feasible - but the “clock is ticking” on finding an alternative soution. On the border with Northern Ireland, the ambassador said a hard border was not feasible – but ttime was running out on finding an alternative solution. “There is no practical hard-border solution available, therefore you have to find what the EU negotiating directive calls imaginative and flexible solutions,” he said.
“There is no practical hard-border solution available, therefore, you have to find what the EU negotiating directive calls imaginative and flexible solutions. “That’s what we’ve been looking for for the past year. The clock is ticking now, time is moving on. You’re hearing a bit of urgency on our part. Not least to have an executive up and running in Northern Ireland so they can contribute to this very important debate.”
“That’s what we’ve been looking for for the past year. The clock is ticking now, time is moving on.
“You’re hearing a bit of urgency on our part. Not least to have an executive up and running in Northern Ireland so they can contribute to this very important debate.”
Varadkar is expected to meet separately with Stormont’s main political parties. Key issues on the agenda will be Brexit and the region’s political crisis.
Relations between the Irish government and the DUP, the region’s biggest party, remain strained after Varadkar said Ireland would not help Britain design an economic border for Brexiters. He said Brexiters wanted a border so it was up to them to design one.
The DUP leader, Arlene Foster, described the comments as “not helpful” and said she was looking forward to meeting the taoiseach to discuss a number of issues.