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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 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. Ireland’s prime minister has told unionists in Northern Ireland that it will be easier to protect the union they support with Britain if the UK stays in the European single market.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar proposed that Britain and Ireland could have a transition period during which the UK negotiated a new trade deal with Europe. The taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said that rather than pressing the EU for special status for Northern Ireland post-Brexit, it would be better if the entire UK remained inside a customs union with Europe.
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. Speaking on his first official visit to Belfast on Friday, Varadkar also pointed out that after Brexit everyone in Northern Ireland entitled to an Irish passport would remain an EU citizen.
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? Unionists have opposed proposals from Sinn Féin and other nationalist parties for special status to be given to Northern Ireland in its relationship with the EU. The unionist parties fear that special status could de-couple the region from the rest of the UK after Brexit.
“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.” Asked about demands for special status for the province, the taoiseach said: “What I would rather see, what I think would be the best outcome, is a very close relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU. We would only need a bespoke solution for Northern Ireland if Britain leaves the single market.
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. “If the entire United Kingdom stayed in then you don’t need special status for Northern Ireland. I hope the unionist parties, for example, who would be keen to protect and preserve the union, would see that it’s much easier to do that if the UK stays within the customs union and the single market. Because that would take away the need for any special arrangement or bespoke solution for Northern Ireland.”
The European council meeting this October would be a “historic meeting for this island,” he said. Ahead of a meeting with the Democratic Unionist party on Friday afternoon, Varadkar said Brexit had the potential to “drive a wedge” between Britain and Ireland.
“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 taoiseach told a press conference at Queen’s University Belfast that he was a “realist” about Brexit happening and was “not operating” on the basis that it was not going to come about or that there would be a second EU referendum in the UK.
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”. Earlier during a speech at the university, the taoiseach suggested that the UK could enter into a “deep” free trade agreement with the EU when Britain leaves Europe.
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. He 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?
“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.” “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,” Varadkar said.
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.” He said no one on the island wanted to return to the days of a militarised, heavily policed border. “The border itself was a very different place, a place of bloodshed and violence, of checkpoints. A barrier to trade, prosperity and peace. A brutal physical manifestation of historic divisions and political failure,” he said.
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. Varadkar vowed that in Brexit negotiations he would seek to protect the benefits of the peace process for all the people of the island.
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. He ruled out a proposal from one of his Fine Gael party colleagues this week that a border could be redrawn in the Irish Sea rather than on the island itself. Varadkar said it was not his policy in relation to dealing with Northern Ireland. That proposal enraged unionists who saw it as a move to re-draw the 1921 partition settlement on the island of Ireland.
Among his meetings today will be a bilateral discussion with the DUP leader, Arlene Foster. “It is a proposal of which I am in favour,” Varadkar said.
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.” On devolution and power-sharing being restored in Northern Ireland, he said: “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.”
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. After meeting the five main political parties represented in the Stormont assembly on Friday, the taoiseach will stay overnight in Belfast. He will then attend a breakfast on Saturday morning with gay rights campaigners ahead of the annual Pride demonstration in Belfast.
“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.” Varadkar again voiced his support for marriage equality in Northern Ireland. The region is the only part of the UK and Ireland where gay couples cannot legally marry, principally due to the opposition of the DUP in the Stormont assembly.
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.
“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.”