‘It’s complex and progress has been particularly slow’
THE Government’s most pressing challenge at the moment is the issue of Brexit, the Justice Minister has said.
Progress has been ‘particularly slow’, and negotiations have been not been positive with regard to the UK’s decision to withdraw from the European Union, Charlie Flanagan said yesterday at the Garda College in Templemore.
Mr Flanagan will meet his British counterpart, Home Secretary Amber Rudd, in the coming weeks to discuss this and other issues, he confirmed. Of all of the issues facing the Irish Government in 2017, Mr Flanagan said: ‘I believe the priority or the most challenging endeavour is Brexit, the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union.
‘It’s very complex: progress has been particularly slow. The negotiations are not going as positively as the European Union would have wished.
‘I am particularly concerned about the matter of the border. I am particularly concerned as Minister for Justice at the security situation across the island of Ireland, that the greatest terror threat within our jurisdiction is from dissident republicans.
‘I’ve been speaking to Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire. I regret the fact that I don’t have a Minister for Justice in Northern Ireland with whom to deal at present. I want to see an early return of the Executive, I want to see an early return of the north-south bodies.’
Mr Flanagan added: ‘I’m looking forward to my first meeting with Amber Rudd. There are issues across the whole gamut of international criminal law, such as the European Arrest Warrant – issues such as the sharing of police intelligence at the highest level across the European Union. And, of course, the civil law – there are many issues pertaining to Brexit to discuss.’
Meanwhile, Mr Flanagan said he understands there is still some ‘paperwork’ to be undertaken in Egypt before Ibrahim Halawa is released from custody and can return home. ‘I expect there will be further developments over the next few days,’ he said.