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TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has warned the UK that the EU will have the upper hand in post-Brexit trade talks.
In a footballing analogy, he warned that the EU has a “stronger team” because of its far larger population and market in comparison.
Varadkar also suggested that Prime Minister Boris Johnson may run out of time to get a trade deal signed before the end of the year when the transition period finishes.
The Taoiseach spoke to the BBC ahead of meeting with the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Dublin today.
Varadkar and Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee are meeting Barnier today in government buildings.
They will discuss implementing the Irish protocol as part of the withdrawal agreement, which sets out to prevent a hard border, guarantee citizens’ rights and protect the Good Friday Agreement.
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The meeting is taking place just days before the UK formally leaves the EU this Friday.
“The European Union is a union of 27 member states. The UK is only one country. And we have a population and a market of 450 million people,” Varadkar said.
The UK, it’s about 60 [million]. So if these were two teams up against each other playing football, who do you think has the stronger team?
Johnson has repeatedly ruled out requesting an extension to the transition period, during which the UK abides by EU rules, past 31 December.
But Varadkar, whose talks with Johnson were seen as key in securing a breakthrough on the exit pact, questioned whether it would be possible to negotiate a full trade deal in time, saying “it will be difficult to do this”.
And he warned against any attempt by the UK to broker parts of a deal over time with the EU.
“When I hear people talk about piecemeal, it sounds a bit like cake and eat,” he said.
“That isn’t something that will fly in Europe.”
With reporting by Orla Dwyer.
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@hard yaka: what will happen is,the hospitals will only bring in private health care,and make it that way,and the ordinary taxpayer and medical cars holders,won’t be seen,they have a plan already set up,mark my words.
Some people spent too much time in the USA here. Of course public hospital should be 100% free with the amount of taxpayer money it is allowed each year.
@Yvon Queguiner: the taxpayer is paying the lions share of it anyway. 80 euro per night is a drop in the ocean towards the actual cost of someones hospital stay, and that discounts everyone using a medical care and private/public insurance. I’m sure the 4 billion of usc a year will cover the government some people in here are so worried about being out of pocket.
Now time to abolish hospital parking charges as was promised as part of the programme for government. Families have enough on their plates having someone in hospital without adding to the already stressful situation
When the Elite have serious health issues they are off to the USA like a light! Irish healthcare is substandard. That’s the reality. Letting the government be in charge of any service results in lower quality.
It’s easy scrap the fees,when people are on waiting list for years,Even private health insurance can not get u seen with in 2 weeks like it was before,but people who are on list with medical cards,God help them all,because the hospitals will def only see private health,to claw the money back,we need only think back to 2006,when the lies were told,and changed the health boards to the HSE,Mary Harney lied because the wanted hospitals closed in every County,it took a few years to see the damage,HSE has too much power,like the local Councils..they won’t answer even to the government
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