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LAST UPDATE | 13 Nov 2018
TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR, Tánaiste Simon Coveney and Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee are meeting with officials this evening to assess the state-of-play with the Brexit deal.
Negotiators from the UK and the EU have reportedly reached an agreement that will see no hard border on the island of Ireland – but as of this evening the Irish government is maintaining that nothing has yet been confirmed.
The backstop would come in the form of a temporary UK-wide customs arrangement, with specific rules for Northern Ireland, RTÉ reported.
While the negotiations have not yet concluded, the text was “as stable as it can be”.
This text will also have a review mechanism.
Cabinet ministers in the Irish government are on standby to attend a possible Cabinet meeting tomorrow. There is also a possibility another meeting could be held later in the week to consider the draft Brexit proposals.
A government spokesperson said the situation is “fast-moving”.
However, it is understood that the Irish government’s position is that British ministers should be given time and space to consider the proposals.
UK media outlets are reporting that ministers are set to be summoned to 10 Downing Street this evening to a see the latest Brexit draft text.
Ministers will speak to Prime Minister Theresa May one-on-one, Sky News reported.
If – and it remains a big if – her Cabinet agrees to sign off on such an arrangement it would clear a path for EU leaders to also give their approval to the deal later this month.
Initially when the news broke that a deal on the border had been agreed, the Irish government appeared to be left in the dark.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said: “Negotiations between the EU and UK on a withdrawal agreement are ongoing and have not concluded. Negotiators are still engaged and a number of issues are outstanding. We are not commenting further on leaks in the media.”
This was later echoed by a government spokesperson, who said that “nothing has been confirmed at this point… there is still no agreement at this point in time”.
“As far as I’m aware there are still a number of issues outstanding in the withdrawal agreement,” he said, adding that it is a “fast-moving” situation and that the Irish government is “very happy” with the representation of the European task force.
It remains Ireland’s position that the backstop must apply “unless and until” it is superseded by other border-free agreements.
“Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed,” he added.
Any such deal that may have been reached will have to be given consideration by the Cabinet, said the government spokesperson.
Explanation: What does all this mean?
Nothing much, really.
Based on the reports, UK negotiators seem to have given in on leaving the Customs Union in favour of “a first cousin” of the EU’s rules, and the EU has given in on its demand for a Northern Ireland-specific backstop in order to reach a deal.
The EU had pledged to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland as part of its three main priorities in Brexit talks; in December 2017 it was agreed that this would be done through the backstop which would ensure “regulatory alignment” between the North and the Republic.
Brexiteers argued that the backstop wasn’t necessary to avoid a hard border, as they feared it would limit their trading abilities and “carve off” Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
In Theresa May’s much-criticised Chequers Plan, she pledged to leave the Customs Union in favour of “a new business friendly customs model with freedom to strike new trade deals around the world”.
It’s not clear whether the UK-wide customs deal reported tonight would limit the UK from striking up non-EU trade deals in the future. If it’s so close as to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, it probably would limit their options.
If Theresa May and her Cabinet are against the draft proposal agreed by their negotiators, we’re back to the threat of a no-deal Brexit.
Reaction
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon on the reports of a possible border deal, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he had been in the chamber for the last couple of hours, adding:
“So I haven’t spoken to my officials, or been able to speak to any of my officials in the last two hours or so.”
Earlier today, the EU Commission published a limited number of contingency plans in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
In it, it says the commission will “support Ireland in finding solutions addressing the specific challenges of Irish businesses” in such a scenario.
With reporting from Christina Finn and Gráinne Ní Aodha
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Two completely different issues. Aggressive begging is intimidating, and mostly organised, run by a cartel of Roma. Huge difference to homelessness. Anybody who can’t tell the difference is ignorant of the facts. I work in the hospitality industry in the city centre, and our hearts are broken keeping professional beggars from annoying and intimidating our customers. These, believe me, are professional beggars. They are dropped off en-masse and then spread out. In my area they arrive at 6.15pm every Thursday, Friday & Saturday. They co-ordinate their efforts to a T. They usually finish at 11.30pm and then all walk back to their car together. They also have a guy who walks up and down the street collect their money and bring it back to the ‘minder’ who sits in a car on Baggot Street. Monday to Friday another group works from 8am to 5pm, they again are all dropped off, and they take their positions at the parking metres and bank machines along the street. I have been physically threatened by these people when I tried to stop them harassing our customers. I had to call the guards another night to get walked to my own car, as the “money collecting guy” threatened to slit my throat for running them from outside the restaurant. Nasty nasty people. These are not homeless. Please be aware of the difference.
That’s racist. It is part their culture. You must tolerate. Resistance is futile.
Part of your culture to beg ? I would call it just to bloody lazy to work they came over here for two reasons one for the dole and another to peg we should chuck them out if that’s racists fine I can live with that tag
Spot on Timberdog. It’s organised Roma criminal begging gangs. Have seen how they set up on Baggott St and surrounding area. Can’t have a smoke in peace outside a bar in town without a gypsy coming up with their hands out. Parasites.
Just an interesting point here, gypsies from Central Europe, are for some reason terrified of rabbits ! So a rabbits foot dangling in front of there face will quickly get rid of them pestering you
Think you missed the point Marco, I’d say fair play to the restaurant owners, and aggressive begging has become a business for some needs to stop
I just ask them for money before they ask me. Just tell them I need money for beer. Keep on and on at them. Bit of their own medicine is good enough for them.
There should be big, un-missable neon signs warning people NOT to give to beggars. It’s an industry, run by Roma criminal predators. Plenty of charities out there to donate legit to, no need to pay the already State mollycoddled, PAYE funded, scroungers any more free, un-earned loot!!
Why not save all their time and money on stupid surveys and put it into a soup kitchen instead- I’m sure there is plenty of food waste among them all that could be put to practical use.
Do you own or run a restaurant Marko?
Not a regular restaurant runner these days. I find the spandex chaffs something awful.
Picture a tumbleweed Marko… seems I can’t send you a picture of one.
Don’t you all know, the homeless are the new gays, anything negative said about them will be met with a barrage of red thumbs.
I don’t know. I think it’s very possible to criticise the gays. Can’t think of anything right now but if I do think of one, I’ll be right back here. *~*
So now homeless people are meant to be polite and social at all times. As an experiment try sleeping rough for a week and deal with the HSE and see if your full of the joys of spring.
Some people just want to be outraged.
Why all the comments on Roma beggars? I work in the city centre and most of the aggressive begging I see is from Irish people.
I also work in the city. All the aggressive begging is from the Irish. The Roma just sit quietly
Homelessness and begging are two separate issues on planet moron and planet liars.
Stupid crusty.
Read the article properly before jumping on the SJW bandwagon.
The vast majority of homeless people in Ireland are Irish. Aggressive beggars on the other hand…..its their culture, they get state provided housing and such. Homeless people would be lucky to even get a sniff of that kind of government help.
Nicky, Nicky, nicky. The article, and the details provided today, explicitly make the difference between aggressive begging (what this action is about) and ‘regular’ begging (what this article is not about).
No harm done.
The original press release mentions “the interrelated areas of begging, homelessness and addiction”. It is obvious why people are making the connection between the topics and the press release is insensitive and poorly timed.
“Dublin accounts for 47% of national GDP and attracts almost four million visitors a year, that amount of visitors is at risk if this issue continues to be ignored.”
There are surely bigger issues that should be dealt with first “as a matter of urgency”, to use the words of the press release. Like people dying on the streets.
“Let them eat cake”
There’s a fair bit to be irked by in this report. One thing is the fact that it’s only when something affects tourism that the powers that be seem to pay attention. It seems if you’re a taxpayer you’re supposed to put up with it.
There may be merit in constructing a temporary block of container houses (prob in the Phoenix park) to get homeless people off the streets during the harsher weather. There’s obviously a cost, as well as insurance and staffing costs to that too.
Long term, addiction clinics need to be decentralized. How addiction is treated needs to be re-thought. Some people are on methadone for 10+ years. What sort of a system is that.
Controversially, IMO, a large % of social housing in Dublin cc should be sold and used to buy more social homes further out of the city for those who cannot / will not work.
have your say