MICHEL Barnier today insisted that any solutions Britain puts forward to solve the Northern Ireland issue after Brexit must be “fully compatible” with law laid down by euro judges.
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EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier
He added: “The decision to leave was the UK’s decision, not the EU’s or Ireland’s, and we respect that decision. I said last week that while our discussions were fruitful, it’s clear that a lot more substantial work needs to be done, in particular we will need to continue discussions in all the areas of North-South cooperation.”
In his remarks, Mr Coveney echoed comments made by the previous Taioseach, Enda Kenny, that his country was firmly on the EU’s side in the talks but also talked up its “unique” connection to the UK.
He said: “We are very thankful of the priority that has been given to Irish issues in the context of Britain’s decision to leave the EU. Ireland is in a uniquely vulnerable position as a small country that has an interwoven relationship with the UK from a trade perspective, from a historic perspective, from a political perspective.
“The decision by the UK to leave the EU has potentially an extraordinarily negative impact on Ireland and on the island of Ireland and so that is why in the first phase of negotiations Ireland is one of the big three issues that there needs to be substantial progress on before we can move onto the broader issues of trade and transition and future relationships.”
Earlier today Mr Coveney met with the EU Parliament’s rapporteur on Brexit, former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, to discuss MEPs’ stance on the Irish issue.
After the meeting Mr Verhofstadt tweeted a picture of the pare, saying: “Productive discussion today with Simon Coveney. The issues specific to Ireland are a priority for the EU27 in the Brexit negotiations.”
The Irish government, always on someone else’s side .
Never Britains.