Varadkar dismisses fears over PM’s letters to DUP
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has said he still believes a Brexit deal can be done in the coming weeks but has warned that “lots of things can go wrong”.
Mr Varadkar also said he has “no specific concerns” about the letters between Prime Minister Theresa May and the DUP, but again stressed the importance of avoiding a hard border in Ireland.
His remarks come after DUP leader Arlene Foster expressed alarm at the contents of a letter from Mrs May which her party is interpreting as creating the potential for a post-Brexit border in the Irish Sea.
Mr Varadkar made his remarks at a press conference after yesterday’s British-Irish Council meeting on the Isle of Man.
He said the most important objective is to give everyone in Ireland, north and south, “the assurance that a hard border will not develop ... no matter what else may happen in the years ahead.
“That is why we’re seeking one that is legally operative and one that gives us that guarantee that is necessary.”
Mr Varadkar said talks are at a “sensitive point” and a “successful outcome is not guaranteed but I think it is possible in the next couple of weeks.”
He added: “I think it’s more likely than not that we will be able to conclude an agreement... before the end of the year but lots of things can go wrong.”
Mr Varadkar said any deal would still have to be ratified by Westminster and the European Parliament.
He added: “Even when all of that is done, then we begin the talks on the future relationship so there’s no clean break here.
“Brexit is going to go on for a very long period of time. And we’ll do our best to work through it and make sure we get the best outcome for our citizens.”
Asked about Mrs May’s letter, he said both the Prime Minister and the DUP are “very much able to speak for themselves”.
Mr Varadkar also said: “I’ve no specific concerns about the communications that are happening between Prime Minister May and the DUP.
“It’s entirely appropriate that they should be communicating on an issue of real importance to all of us.
Mr Varadkar said the DUP does not represent the majority of people in Northern Ireland.
He added: “The only thing I would say is that it is very important that we listen to the voice of Northern Ireland in all of this.
“When we listen to the voice of Northern Ireland we should listen to all political parties, we should listen to farmers, to fishermen, to the business community, to trade unions and to civil society.
“And I think if we do that, if we listen to the voice of Northern Ireland as a whole, that will help us to come to an agreement.”
Earlier Mr Varadkar said: “Certainly the position of the Irish Government has always been that we don’t want to see any new borders between us and that applies as much between Larne and Stranraer or between Belfast and London as it does between Newry and Dundalk.
“We’re not the ones here who are seeking any borders or any new checks of any sort. But Brexit has given rise to a difficult situation and we need to resolve that.”
The EU’s proposed fall-back position to avoid a hard border — the so-called backstop — would effectively keep Northern Ireland aligned with Brussels’ customs union and single market.
Speaking at the same event, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Brexit had highlighted “real weaknesses” in the UK’s devolution settlement.
Ms Sturgeon again urged Tory leaders to consider keeping the whole UK in the single market.
She spoke out after “frank” exchanges with Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington on the differences between the Scottish and UK governments over their approach to Brexit.
She said: “I will make no bones about the fact that the Brexit experience has exposed real weaknesses within the devolution settlement that will require them to be worked through and resolved along the way.”
Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones warned that a customs border down the Irish Sea could be expensive for the Welsh Government.
“The last thing I would like to see is a hard border between Ireland and Wales,” he said. “Seventy per cent of trade between Great Britain and Ireland goes through Welsh ports.”