Irish PM: Hard Brexiteers have no meaningful ideas on border
3 min read
Ireland's prime minister has hit out at Britain’s hard Brexiteers for failing to offer ideas on a future border between the UK and Ireland despite having had ‘ample time’.
Leo Vardkar said the onus is on those who want a “trade border” between the two countries, but that he believes they are unable to produce credible proposals.
The Taoiseach told an audience in Belfast, on his first visit to Northern Ireland since taking the role in June, that Brexit presented the "challenge of a generation" – and compared it to the First World War.
Both British and Irish officials are agreed that a frictionless border between the two countries is desirable, and Mr Varadkar reiterated his Government's stance of avoiding an “economic border” either on the island of Ireland or with Great Britain.
“There are people who do want a border, a trade border between the UK and EU and therefore between Ireland and Britain and therefore across Ireland and these are of course the advocates of a so-called hard Brexit,” he told an audience at Queen’s University.
“And I believe that the onus is on them to come up with proposals for such a border and to convince us and convince you… that such a border would be in your interest and that these borders would not be barriers to trade and commerce.
“They have already had fourteen months to do so, which should have been ample time to come up with detailed proposals. But if they cannot, and I believe they cannot then I believe we can start to talk meaningfully for all of us”.
The Irish border is one of three key areas the UK and EU must agree on before further talks on Brexit can proceed, alongside free movement of people and the final divorce bill.
The Taoiseach suggested that the UK remain in both the single market and customs union for as long as it takes both sides to agree a deal, proposing bilateral agreements on the customs union - such as that which Turkey enjoys - and on the single market, should Britain commit to severing all ties.
“If these things cannot be agreed now then perhaps we can have a long transition period during which the UK stays in the single market and the customs union while we work all of these things out,” he added.
“And I believe that this is the space in which agreements can be made.”
Mr Varadkar added that “every single aspect of life in Northern Ireland could be affected” by Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc and that he feared failure to restore power-sharing at Stormont would leave the region voiceless.
“Who do we in Europe speak to when we want to speak to Belfast? Who will speak for Northern Ireland and her 1.8 million people? Time is running out and I fear no extra time will be allowed."
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