Varadkar is ‘not confident’ that Britain can produce a viable solution
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has expressed a lack of confidence in the UK government to produce a workable solution on Brexit – but says he won’t be dragged into its internal disputes.
As Theresa May’s cabinet battled over its latest Brexit proposition, Mr Varadkar repeatedly refused to answer questions on the infighting.
“The British government doesn’t comment on disputes that may arise in the coalition here. I’m not going to get involved in internal politics in the United Kingdom.
“No matter who is in power in London, what we need from them is concrete proposals,” Mr Varadkar said.
However, he admitted the situation in London was a concern with the next EU Council meeting just weeks away.
“I wouldn’t say I’m confident at this stage. There have been a number of occasions in the past where there have been leaks or indications that a proposal was coming from London, and that proposal was not.
“It’s really only when I see something in black and white written down that I can comment on it in a meaningful way,” he said.
“We have to have the withdrawal agreement concluded by October. What we need from London is the legal text, absent from that we have to stand full-square and 100pc behind the text everybody agreed in March.”
Mr Varadkar said he wanted to see a “softening” of the red lines set down by the UK government – but failing that he would return to the deal agreed last December.
It set out that the EU and UK regulations will remain closely aligned so that trade between the North and the Republic can continue without the need for a hard Border.
Fianna Fáil’s Brexit spokesperson Lisa Chambers said the UK’s statement was an “attempt to move this issue forward. It is critical that, irrespective of the shape, scope or type of future trading relationship agreed between the EU and the UK, that there is a guarantee in place specifying that there will be no hard Border on the island of Ireland in the event of failure to reach agreement”.
She said the Border question “can no longer be fudged” or kicked “down the road”.
“We were told by the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach in December that the commitments given in the December agreement in relation to the Border were ‘cast-iron’ and ‘bullet-proof’. The time has come to see if those statements will actually ring true,” Ms Chambers said.
Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald called on the Government to reject the latest proposals.
She said Mrs May had shown “disregard” for Ireland and her plan “falls far short of what is required”.