Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A UK LABOUR MP has said that Ireland would have to pay for any hard border infrastructure between the north and south of the island, and that she “wouldn’t be surprised” if Ireland left the EU in the next few years.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 this morning about Brexit and the current impasse over border solutions for the north and south of Ireland, Kate Hoey said that Ireland needed to be more positive about Brexit.
She was taking issue with the Irish government position that a practical solution around how a physical border (or lack of border) needed to be reached before the Brexit talks could progress to the next stage.
Ireland and the EU want further clarification and assurances from the UK over the border issue, before tense negotiations progress to issues of trade. The UK, meanwhile, wants to move onto trade matters, saying that border solutions will be ironed out in this process.
Hoey said that the negotiations had “seen a lot of negativity from the Irish government”.
“Putting up barriers when perhaps they aren’t there. And you’re wondering why they’re actually doing that when actually it is in their interest to make this work,” she said.
Hoey said that there was “absolutely no way” that the UK would leave the EU but somehow keep Northern Ireland separate.
“So, obviously we want to not have a hard border,” she said.
Although I would remind listeners that I suppose the really hard border was there when the IRA was doing some appalling things along the border.
She said that she “resented the idea” that Brexit would threaten the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Because I’m not sure who’s threatening it. It’s certainly not the people in Northern Ireland who want to leave the EU.
Threatened
Fine Gael senator Neale Richmond also spoke on the programme. He said that both the gardaí and the PSNI have warned that the peace process in Northern Ireland is under threat from loyalist and republican paramilitary groups.
“To flippantly say there is no threat. There is a threat. Both the PSNI and An Garda Síochána have said there is viable paramilitary threat to the peace process,” he said.
You put up one watchtower or put out one foot patrol and they will be a target and I would argue that they would be attacked within a week of going up.
Hoey again called for Ireland to “be more positive” and said that the UK would not be paying for any hard border.
“We’re not the ones who are going to be putting up the physical border. At the end if this ends up with a no deal we won’t be putting up the border, they’ll have to pay for it,” she said.
Hoey went on to say that there was “a lot of politics going on” on the Irish side and that Fine Gael were “worried about Sinn Féin”. Richmond flatly rejected this.
She also said that Ireland would consider leaving the EU in a few years after the country sees how successful the UK has been.
Greater clarity
Speaking this morning on RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said that Ireland has been asking for more clarity around the parameters by which the UK plans to solve the border issues.
He acknowledged that some of this will be dealt with in phase two.
He said it is “not credible” for the UK to say there will be a frictionless border, and maintain they will leave the Customs Union and the single market, and not give any assurances of regulatory divergence.
If there are diverging regulations both north and south of the border, there will have to be customs checks, he said.
There is no way of avoiding that.
Coveney said if there are diverging regulatory regimes in areas such as agriculture, environment and so many other areas, it would be “impossible” to avoid a checking system and “some sort of a hard border”.
The minister said it is not unreasonable for Ireland to seek such clarity. He said he met with Michel Barnier, as well as Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker on Friday, and Coveney was told they fully support Ireland’s position.
On the issue of the veto, he said Ireland does not need to use it as Ireland has the full support of all the other member states.
“We will not be moving on to phase two in December” if the border issue is not addressed, said the minister.
Ireland is not going to be isolated and forced to use a veto.
With reporting from Christina Finn
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
It’s looking more likely that Brexit negotiations will outlive a global pandemic.
@LangerDan: at this stage will outlive us.
@LangerDan: New deadline 31 Dec 2031
Haven’t they figured it out yet that Boris and his mates don’t want a deal, they want the wild west of financial banking so they can make billions, while the normal brits suffers
@Jim Buckley Barrett: Think this is a face saving exercise on behalf of the UK. It will be done quietly when everyone is occupied with the Christmas and not on high alert.
@Jim Buckley Barrett: ya but surely you know that the financial sector in UK will take a massive hit with a no deal if they don’t have access to European markets and money
@Joe Johnson: Surely you should know that Jim Buckley Barrett is a complete air __ head and you should not engage with people like that
@Jim Buckley Barrett: of course they have and have wasted so much time pandering to the brexiteers. But I’m sure the EU do not want to give the tories and their media any ammunition when the tories pull the plug. Well played the EU….as much as it annoys most of us.
@Jim Buckley Barrett: This is what the Tories and their hedge fund friends want. Singapore on Thames is the ideo of deep deregulation and dumping of services and products on European market. Now Brits are surprised that EU will protect its internal market. This is the same breed of economic right wing populism as in US. The one difference UK is not US. Let them be. There will be pain as hell but now everybody in EU agrees not on fact that austerity dose not work in time of crisis. We should get better soon after the covid issue is contained. In few years time we will se who was right looking at France and UK. They are similar in population and GDP. If France will grow faster and will have larger GDP the Brexit will be a certified failure.
@Merlin Lancelot: He’s right though
@Adam Hernes: Accurate assessment, our main worry will be energy costs in the short term until the Celtic Interconnector is completed in 2026 between here and France, as we import a lot of our electricity. Of course there is a high possibility Scotland independence vote will pass next time round, and they will probably rejoin the EU, meaning the impact might not be as severe.
It’s Britains way or the high way, Ursula wasting her time, Johnson was all over the UK media yesterday explaining why a No deal will be great for them. And don’t forget the threat of armed malitia on boats
@David Lee: One one hardly describe the British navy as malitia or (militia)
@David Lee: Boris being Boris….his tune flips depending on who he’s talking to. He trots out the ‘we’ll prosper mightily, regardless’ line knowing that it’s almost so vague that it can’t be challenged.
@David Lee: if no deal is suh a good deal for them, what are they negotiating for?
Ursula should read up on some Irish history to fully know what she is dealing with.
@Pádraic Ó Braonáin: She’s German, she’s knows exactly what the British are like.
Never ending circus.
Ah Jesus
Brinkmanship.
It will go to the wire, but they’ll find a way.
@John Mulligan: well this week the uk supermarkets were warned to stockpile…and there were queues in France…that shows where the real power lies. we will see how long they stay on the brink if they cant feed themselves…
The only thing they ever seem to achieve is missing deadlines.
(And I know if should be the case if they make a deal).
A deal would obviously be worth it but it shows a certain bluffer that real world politics trumps the bluster and guff he gets away with in London.
Johnson has been ringing individual leaders of European countries in an age old attempt at divide and conquer. It used to work back in the days of empire (as did gun boat diplomacy!) His efforts to turn EU states against each other is so obvious its pathetic. He seems to represent those who want to destabilise western democracy and not the wishes of the majority of British people.
Boris was always going to cave. He doesnt have the ba11s for a no deal.
It’ll be extended for a few more weeks or months.
@Canyon: hopefully the EU will just tell them to deploy their silly little gunboats.
@Canyon: Most likely will be extended to March/April
@Canyon: can they still do that after Jan 1st
@SaveTheTrees: can they still do that after Jan 1st
Just let them off, sick of it all. And let it be a lesson to all remaining EU countries to not be so dependent on trade with one single country. The UK are is the weaker position, and all of this is only postering to panic the EU into giving them what they want
@Tony Corbàn: it’s a pity that we depend on Britain so much for everyday stuff. We should import more direct from the continent in terms of grocery and hardware. We have to improve our independence from Britain.
Tis definitely a day for pucking ball down the field. Death by a thousand cuts.
Its becoming clear at last, both sides negotiate in perpetuity, keeping the current T&C’s and when the Brits decide to return to the EU the negotiations will stop…Simple
@Ivor O’Sullivan: can that actually happen.
Irl should learn from Brits…you have to play hardball of you get rolled over.
@Aire Dezamba: Boris has been scuttling to Brussels and had the cold water of reality thrown over him since he has been PM despite promising that GB would be ‘leaving come what may’. The only people being rolled are the UK public.
@Aire Dezamba: is this what you call playing hard ball? Really? Lol.
Bertie deserves his 17 grand top up.He’s a rock of sense.
@Leonard O’mahony: He’s a crock of nonsense.
Bertie was correct. Looks like people are coming to their sences.
Can a non-Eu country have free trade with the Eu without complying to Eu rules imposed on Eu companies? And if so under wto rules such a deal would have to be offered to other non-Eu countries eg. china, india etc.
@Damian Moylan: no and no, to answer the questions
Boris himself is a ‘feàr’ apart himself – he’s really living up to his name…haunted! – sure he even looks like a ghost – England is a lovely country – geographically – but politically- its a disaster zone!
The Brexit negotiations keep continuing due to the Irish Taoiseach insistence to the EU commission to keep trying. Irish farmers will get EU subsidies in event of a no-deal Brexit from when I last checked. Business is leaving London for Dublin, not all, but a lot. I suppose the nation that really wants its cake and to eat is Republic of Ireland.
have your say