MARTIN: BREXIT’S ON A PRECIPICE..
Taoiseach in Brussels dash as deal ‘ just 50/ 50’ Crunch time as Boris meets with EU president
It remains to be seen how this can be rescued in their talks MICHEAL MARTIN
MICHEAL Martin arrived i n Brussels last night after declaring Brexit is “on a precipice”.
He said the process is once again “on a knife edge”, describing its chances of success as “50/ 50”.
The Taoiseach jetted into Brussels from a full day’s work in Dublin to dine with the EU’S 27 leaders ahead of this month’s European Summit.
But all eyes were on another meal – the crunch dinner meeting between UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU council president Ursula von der Leyen.
The pair were meeting as a Brexit deal hung precariously in the balance, with the chances of a disastrous no- deal increasing by the hour.
Talks continued late into the night, with little word of any real progress. The stakes couldn’t be higher with the Brexit trade deal at real risk of collapse.
Mr Martin said he hoped a deal could still be done because it was “in nobody’s interest” for the UK to leave the EU without a trade agreement.
The Taoiseach, speaking in the Dail before his trip, said: “Now at the moment we are on the precipice of a no- deal.
“It remains to be seen how the two principals this evening – the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the European commission president Ursula von der Leyen – can rescue the situation in their talks.
“But it is on a knife edge. It is 50/ 50. “There are difficult issues regarding l e v el pl ay i ng f i el d s and our own fisheries.
“I have met and engaged with the fishing organisations.
“There should be no doubt that we want to preserve and support our fishing i ndustr y i n t he strongest possible manner and as effectively as we can.”
The Brexit transition phase is due to end in just three weeks’ time.
If a deal cannot be struck, it will see
damaging duties and tariffs introduced on goods and services travelling both ways between Ireland and the UK.
The l at est projections f r om t he taxmen at Revenue last night warned Ireland could see massive hikes of up to 40% on the cost of online goods with new taxes applied.
Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar told a party meeting last night that the deal his previous Government did on the border had proved to be “bulletproof ”. He was speaking after an 11th- hour climbdown on a UK threat to abandon the Northern Ireland protocol of the Brexit withdrawal treaty.
The deal in place will protect Ireland’s place in the EU single market and there will be no hard border, he said.
The DUP is upset with the proposal to have an EU office in Belfast as part of the trade deal.
The par ty has warned p e r s onn e l i n t h e Nor t h
“observers only”.
UK Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove revealed detail s of the l atest agreement between the UK and EU.
He said there would be no EU embassy in the region but added that Brussels officials would be permitted at border checks once the transition period ended.
The DUP responded, urging the UK government to ensure EU personnel in the North were “not empowered to direct matters.” t hat EU must b e