Dublin says Brexit deal must include core issues agreed this week

By Q Radio News

Ireland will not back any Brexit divorce deal that alters the core principles of this week's ill-fated draft UK/EU agreement, its deputy premier has insisted.

Simon Coveney said the Dublin government would consider alternative proposals if any are forthcoming from London, but stressed it would not countenance anything that fell short of the assurances it needs over the shape of the border post Brexit.

The Tanaiste told the Dail: "We are in a position where we still need to find a way forward but, let me be very clear, the core issues that Ireland got agreement on at the start of this week are not changing."

Prime Minister Theresa May is facing a high-pressure race against time to make progress in talks with Brussels amid a deadlock over the border.

Mrs May is hoping to make a new offer by Friday to satisfy both Ireland and Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party which props up her Government and scuppered a deal on divorce issues on Monday.

The mooted agreement between the UK and EU, which envisaged the alignment of regulations north and south to maintain free flow of goods, was torpedoed after the DUP rejected it.

Mr Coveney insisted Ireland was advocating a solution that would benefit all the people of the island and also Britain.

"There are lots of issues that are subject to negotiation," he said.

"We accept that the British government is trying to move this process forward in good faith.

"We want to work with them on that, and not against them.

"But Ireland has real concerns and they are important to this country and its future and they are important to this island and its future and we have an obligation to ensure we act accordingly."

The senior Fine Gael TD added: "We will not support anything that in our view risks the re-emergence of a hard border on this island in the context of these negotiations."

Sinn Fein urged Mr Coveney to go further, and state that his government would not sign up to any deal that saw Northern Ireland leave the formal customs union and single market structures.

The Tanaiste declined, adding: "This is a sensitive negotiation at a very, very sensitive time so what you are not going to get from me is statements that are going to stoke up what is already a difficult relationship management exercise."

Pressure is growing on Mrs May to get leaders at the December 14 European Council summit to declare sufficient progress has been made on divorce issues so trade talks can begin, with business chiefs warning companies will activate contingency plans that will cost Britain jobs if there is further delay.

After talks in Dublin on Wednesday night, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Dutch PM Mark Rutte made clear the EU would not compromise and allow the Irish border to be kicked down the road to phase two of the talks, even under threat of Britain crashing out with no deal or divorce negotiations dragging on to 2018.

And after a phone call with Mrs May on Wednesday, Mr Varadkar said the PM was hoping to return with a new formal written offer by Thursday, but warned, if there was no agreement, talks would be picked up in the New Year.

On Thursday morning, Mrs May's official spokesman said: "As the Prime Minister set out at the start of the week and in the Commons, we are close to an agreement, but there is more work still to be done. It is an ongoing process."

The spokesman said contact with the Taioseach was currently going on at "sherpa" level.

Meanwhile,

Ulster Unionist Party Leader, Robin Swann MLA, Jim Nicholson MEP and Party Chairman, Lord Empey have written a joint letter to the Prime Minister.

The party says it's to make any measures that would create new barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom would directly contradict the Belfast Agreement and should be firmly resisted by the Government.

You can read the full letter below:

Dear Prime Minister,

The events in Brussels on Monday and subsequent media fallout were alarming. The sense of confusion over what had been agreed, when it had been agreed and by whom it had been agreed was palpable and is extremely worrying. 

As talks progress we feel that clarity is needed on “regulatory alignment” - particularly if such alignment would apply to Northern Ireland and not the rest of the United Kingdom. As it stands, such an arrangement would endanger the constitutional status of Northern Ireland. It would mean Northern Ireland having no control or even oversight over the decision making process. We would be implementing regulations and directives not from Westminster, but from Brussels where we would have no democratic representation or input into formulating the legislation. Northern Ireland would have no MEPs, and would not be represented at the Council.

We fear that in these circumstances, some may assume Dublin would speak for Northern Ireland in Brussels. This would represent a clear breach of the Belfast Agreement and the principle of consent. Throughout this negotiation process, the European Union has been keen to stress the need to protect the Belfast Agreement. Any measure that would create new barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, or leave Northern Ireland represented only by another Member State in Brussels, would directly contradict that aim and should be firmly resisted by the Government.

Yours sincerely,

Robin Swann MLA, Leader, Ulster Unionist Party

Jim Nicholson, MEP for Northern Ireland

Lord Empey of Shandon, Party Chairman, Ulster Unionist Party