Ireland says Brexit talks need clarity over border

Britain’s talks on exiting the European Union (EU) cannot progress, as London wishes, to cover trade relations until it give more clarity on what will happen at the border with Ireland, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said yesterday.

The border with Northern Ireland, which will be the UK’s only land frontier with the EU after its departure, is one of three issues Brussels wants broadly solved before talks on trade can start at December at the earliest.

“On the border issue, I’m sorry but we need more clarity than we have right now. We cannot move ahead to phase two on the back of a promise that we don’t see any delivery mechanism to make a reality,” Coveney told a conference.

“We don’t need all the answers but we certainly need to have more assurance than we have today and we need some understanding that if the trade negotiations collapse, which could happen, that the Irish issues will still be resolved and prioritised.” With close trading links to Britain, Ireland is considered the EU member most at risk when its neighbour leaves the bloc.