Irish stepping up preparations for Brexit aftermath, says premier

IRELAND IS stepping up preparations for physical infrastructure at ports and airports after Brexit, the country’s premier said.

Irish ministers held detailed discussions in Dublin yesterday surrounding the hiring of customs officers and veterinary inspectors as well as the upgrading of IT systems.

The Republic has held a series of workshops for businesses aimed at getting Ireland Brexitready and earmarked money in next year’s budget.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar updated the Dail parliament on negotiations and said: “I cannot say at the moment that decisive progress has been made, but that is something that will play out over the next couple of days in Brussels, and a decision will be made whether or not to have a November summit when we can determine whether that is necessary – we won’t be having a summit for the sake of it.”

European leaders head to Brussels for the European Council today in what Sinn Fein is branding a “crunch” summit, with no agreement on the Irish border backstop.

Mr Varadkar’s political rival, Irish Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin, has said a “very dangerous” suggestion is being made in Europe that the backstop issue should be postponed or deferred.

The Taoiseach has not ruled out Britain crashing out of the EU without an agreement next March. He said: “We are stepping up our preparations for that scenario and we had a detailed discussion at Cabinet today on Brexit and on those discussions and that does include the hiring of customs officials, veterinary inspectors.”