Divided Ireland

sir – The letter (June 11) from Adrian O’neill, Ambassador of Ireland to the UK, is one of the most hostile communications that I have ever read from someone whose brief ought to include fostering better relations between our two countries.

If it represents the settled view of the Dublin government – and its policy is indeed to insist that the Northern Ireland Protocol is implemented immediately and in full – then it is clear that our neighbours have no desire to negotiate or compromise on this tangled problem.

I suspect that what lies behind their posturing, including imposing a hard border for drugs at the EU’S behest (swiftly reversed), and making trade as difficult as possible between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is the idea that if they persist they may succeed in a referendum to detach Northern Ireland from the UK, and achieve a united Ireland.

The EU (and therefore Dublin) wishes to prevent goods entering the EU from the UK by some form of “back door”. Then let them put the customs checks on the land border where it belongs, as hard or soft as they like.

This will not endanger the Good Friday Agreement, which guarantees the status of Northern Ireland within the UK as long as the majority so wish. It will serve to lower the political temperature here, and show the world that those who wish to inflict violence on these islands are not its allies.

Bob Parke

Eglinton, Co Londonderry

SIR – Whenever questions were raised about the status of Northern Ireland after Brexit, airy assurances were given that “modern technology” would resolve any problems. However, no details emerged about how exactly this might be achieved. Chickens have, inevitably, come home to roost.

Patrick Miller

Hartlepool, Co Durham