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TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has said that Ireland will not participate in any British plans to solve the post-Brexit border issue.
He was responding to reported proposals to move the border to the Irish Sea.
Speaking to journalists today, Varadkar said that he and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney were “on the same page” on the issue.
Varadkar said that it was up to the UK to put forward solutions for the handling of the border between north and south in a post-Brexit world.
“Currently there is no economic border. There hasn’t been an economic border since 1992. As far as this government is concerned there shouldn’t be an economic border. We don’t want one,” he said.
“It’s the United Kingdom, it’s Britain that has decided to leave and if they want to put forward smart solutions, technological solutions for borders of the future and all of that that’s up to them.
“We’re not going to be doing that work for them because we don’t think there should be an economic border at all. That is our position. It’s our position in negotiations with the British Government and it’s the very clear position that we have when we engage with the task force that is negotiating on our behalf with the United Kingdom.”
Varadkar went on to say that the government’s position is that there should be no border, so it will not help in designing one.
We do not think it is in the interests of our country. We do not think it’s in the interests of Northern Ireland or the United Kingdom that there should be an economic border between our two countries or on our island and we’re not going to be helping them to design some sort of border that we don’t believe should exist in the first place.
“So let them put forward their proposals as to how they think a border should operate and then we’ll ask them if they really think this is such a good idea because I think it will have a very severe impact on their economy if they decide to go down that route.”
DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr said that Varadkar’s stance was “cutting off his nose to spite his face”.
Fianna Fáil’s Stephen Donnelly backed the Taoiseach, saying that his party has been calling for this solution.
“The solution which Minister Coveney, and now the Taoiseach, has outlined is something which Fianna Fáil has been calling for some time. In February, I along with Micheál Martin and Darragh O’Brien met with the Northern Secretary James Brokenshire and outlined to him that a frictionless border simply wouldn’t work and the border between Ireland and the UK should be the Irish Sea.
“It is important that we have an honest conversation with our UK neighbours, and despite coming late to the table on this issue, I am relieved that the Government now appears willing to start that conversation.”
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He’ll do what the EU overlords tell him what to do, like a good chap.
@Tweed Cap: basically.
@Tweed Cap: Yep, becoming pretty apparent that the only difference between Enda and Leo is that EU leaders will have to reach a bit higher to rub his head.
@The Risen: A nothing comment. You’ve your mind made up so your opinion is worthless.
@james connolly: Speaking of ‘karma’, I noticed you were banned again earlier for the third time in as many days.
You asked about my friends in twitter on another article. They’re grand. Oh, and your new twitter account is now also flagged and restricted.
twitter.com/connollyjimmyj1
God, I love Fridays!
@james connolly: funny thing is he has been banned from commenting here many times, and has had numerous infractions!
Yeah ‘were jammin/for connolly/the risen’, what about all YOUR bans?????
(I’ll let the penny drop lads, and get back to ye in a few months)
@james connolly: So you think a hard border would be good for the Republic of Ireland? Interesting……
@were jammin: LOL! I see you’re out of retirement, just as someone else starts theirs.
You’re not VinB by any chance are you?
@james connolly: “Shame you great mates”
I see basic grammar is still a challenge.
@The Risen: What would expect Leo to say ??? I think he is bang on. Not our problem to secure. The Irish Sea will be the real border either way.
@Tweed Cap: what a stupid comment. Obviously in your workplace you you don’t introduce ideas or contribute. You just get told what to do right ?!
@James Kearney: So you think Leo will over rule the European Gods regarding any negative impact on Ireland that a brexit brings?…. If you do, you really are a silly boy!
He’s 100% right to take this stance. Of course those taking a pop at him would be criticizing him if he didn’t say it.
@sup:
It’s populist, but this is going to blow back in Varadkars and Coveneys face. There has to be a hard border. Without a customs border, we are effectively also leaving the EU. We have to maintain the integrity of the EU single market and customs zone.
@sup: 100% behind Leo. It’s the UKs problem. What’re the Tories and the DUP going to say, that they’re going to build a wall and make Ireland pay for it?
@Fred Jensen: That is what the DUP want you to believe instead of creating the border at the sea ports. Northern Ireland stand to lose a huge amount of cross border business trade as well as risking to lose cross border shoppers.
If the Republic joins the EU Schengen area it will effectively cut off the border to tourism and put at risk people from the north seeking employment in the south.
Fortress Northern Ireland will soon become Theresa Mays biggest millstone and she is already dancing to the DUP tune.
Brexit not going to happen. The can has already been kicked down the road – even the hard leavers in the U.K. cabinet have agreed to a transitional arrangement. Pennies slooooolwly dropping.
Well done to Leo Varadkar for telling them where to go.
@Irish Cottage Rental:
Of course it’s going to happen. But it’s now a battle for survival. Either the North goes down alone or we go down with them. We will have a hard border to maintain the integrity of the single market. Otherwise we’ll be kicked out of the customs union.
@Irish Cottage Rental: What we are so far hearing are soundbites because nothing is agreed until everything is agreed between the EU and UK.
Heard Jeffrey Donaldson on the radio this morning. I’m actually quite impressed that Coveney’s suggestion of a sea border has the DUP rattled. He kept going on about new technology being able to sort things out. When asked what precisely he meant, he was clueless. Hardly surprising as the DUP don’t believe in new technology. Whatever negative effects a physical border will have on the south, it will be truly devastating for the north and the DUP refuse to see it
@Anne Marie Devlin: rattling the DUP wont stop a border LOL
@Anne Marie Devlin:
This is the problem. Only Northern nationalists paying their taxes to the Queen and using the NHS are impressed. The only alternative to no border is that the ROI leaves the EU, and that’s def not in the interest of the ROI.
@Fred Jensen: that statement may come back to haunt you
@Eugene Conroy:
Really, you think we’re going to leave the EU and severely impact our living standards, for the sake of the Northern Nationalists? You’re havin’ a laugh.
@Anne Marie Devlin: It will be even more devastating if the Republic signs the EU Schengen treaty, opening our frontiers to people from non EU countries and scrapping visa requirements. The UK won’t like that.
If Varadkar says that they won’t help with a border, that means that they will help with a border.
@Paul Culligan: I certainly want to see a border. I would prefer a wall built.
@james connolly:
Just as well nobody cares what you want.
@james connolly: you need to be sectioned. Of course you’d love to see a border. I was browsing through the comments on the Vincent Browne article yesterday and you must of made up 50% of the comments.. You has this weird obsession with sinn féin. You’re literally everywhere on anything remotely to do with politics going on about sinn féin.. Then ending your comments with “LOL”.. seek help.
@Tweed Cap: you would be surprised ;)
@Acedeuce: oh anyone with a different opinion should be locked up? wow that is very telling indeed.
Ignore ‘james’. This is his 3rd ‘james connolly’ account in as many days. The rest were, quite rightly, banned.
twitter.com/connollyjimmyj1
twitter.com/jamesco74221276
twitter.com/james1619james
twitter.com/Jc1916Connolly
@The Risen: Will any of that rant stop a border? PMSL
@james connolly: Jamesie lad/PC they are right though. You honesty need help,maybe up the meds.Either that or your paid per post.Surely even a young lad like yourself realises how much of d#ck you come across on the threads you post on….
@Horses for courses: just so you know I have one account. So don’t include me in your stupidity.
@The Risen: how many times have you been banned now shinnerbot? what happened your other accounts? Is trolling going to stop the border?
@P C: Sure ya do Jamesie boy, sure ya do…..
@james connolly: Yeah, a border around you would be a good solution.
@james connolly: If you ran a haulage business in North Inishowen would you say that ??
Exactly why should we pay for any border control.
Well said Leo…
The prospect of US imports into UK territory and consequently a lowering of food standards is an even worse scenario than a physical border for could take Ireland’s reputation for food quality with it regardless of a border partition. Unless the Northern farmers maintain the standard with the South t becomes an island size nightmare. How can the Unionists not see the disaster regardless of a physical border !.
@Gerald Kelleher: Jesus and the Queen will sort it out for them.
He said that because the EU want to make it as awkward, difficult and painful as possible for the UK to leave the EU, to deter other countries from leaving. Unfortunately not the best diplomatic thing to do as the UK gov ain’t going to take this too kindly and ireland will most definitely come off second best in any disagreement with the much bigger UK, and the EU won’t care. Leo is quickly becoming a taoiseach of no substance.
@Adrian: Leo never had any substance. What did he achieve in Health and the Dept. of Social Protection? Feck all always more interested in commenting on other ministers briefs rather then doing his own job…..
@Kerry Blake: what have you shinners ever achieved?
@Kerry Blake: reduced VAT for tourism industry to 9%, creating 1,000s jobs in the process. Increased health budget by €1b. Introduced free GP care for under 6s. Expedited national children’s hospital and Limerick A&E. But don’t let’s facts get in your way.
@P C: Record hospital waiting lists, record numbers on trolleys, record numbers of children in persistent poverty.
@P C: now don’t baffle the poor shinnerbot with fact, it hurts their pea sized brains
@The Risen: what is the Left wing solution? Oh yea increase taxes to fund everything. You’re living in cloud cookooland.
@P C: a lot of these things would have happened anyway, they were in the pipeline before leo was in the job as the economy naturally improved after the recession. As George Lee said when he was a td, he kept getting credit for lots of things he had nothing to do with.
@Adrian: he was minister for transport & tourism at the height of the recession. Things don’t just happen. If they did we wouldn’t need a government. Credit where credits due.
@The Risen: “Record hospital waiting lists, record numbers on trolleys, record numbers of children in persistent poverty”
You are totally correct regarding northern ireland and SF are completely responsible.
@james connolly: Well having voted FG all my life until the last election when I went for independents I’m not sure how to answer that question. Maybe you should contact a member of SF for an answer?
@P C: Were those not part of the programme of government? So basically your saying he’s quite a good functionary??
@Kerry Blake: no they were not actually. Also who wrote the program for government? Are you now defending the program for government? You seem to criticise the government a lot or is this another leftist u turn.
@P C: Well to be honest when you claim “reduced VAT for tourism industry to 9%, creating 1,000s jobs in the process” for the government Leo was part of I start to loose all interest in what you have to say – seeing that has nothing to do with Leo considering Leo was minister of health and for the Dept of social welfare. But never mind stay in your little bubble while instances of suicide increase every day in this country – which HAS happened under Leo’s watch as minister of Health…….
@Kerry Blake: he was minister for transport and tourism from 2011 when he implemented the vat reduction. He became minister for health in 2014 when he achieved the others. You are just trying to discredit everything he does to suit your own agenda. It’s very transparent and a bit pathetic.
@P C: OK, give him credit but what you credit him with pales in significance to all what’s wrong with the dysfunctional Irish economy at the moment, which he (and the rest of them useless politicians) should equally get credit for. They can shout about great GDP figures but their management on real issues that are affecting real people is horrendously poor.
@P C: Its like people going to the politicians and saying they’re really stuggling and these useless incompetent politicians, because they can’t manage peanuts, their response is “but GDP is up and unemployment is down to 6 percent” !
@P C: I don’t actually have an “agenda” so maybe you should rewind your own paranoia back a bit. Now days I’m equally critical of all our so called politicians…
@Kerry Blake: I have yet to see any comment from you directed against Sinn Fein or the rest of the Left.
@P C: Those thousands of jobs you referenced…. Are they the same minimum wage jobs that brought so many into the delusional ‘Leo middle Ireland class’???
Yep, looks like Leo will allow Ireland to be used as the proverbial fly in the ointment i.e. the EUs stick to beat Britain with. We should be more accommodating with out closest neighbour and trading partner.
* our
@The Risen: Karma is a beautiful thing. Bring on the border. It’s you and your ilk that are most deserving of a border. Remember I shall be cheering along as it all happens LOL
@james connolly: “Karma is a beautiful thing. ”
Yep, I was thinking that when I noticed you were banned again earlier for the third time in as many days.
You asked about my friends in twitter on another article. They’re grand. Oh, and your new twitter account is now also flagged and restricted.
twitter.com/connollyjimmyj1
@The Risen: Will any f your trolling stop the border shinnerbot? Do you believe in karma?
@The Risen:
Why are the SHinners in bed with the British these days? I’m genuinely curious, didn’t you fight a war with them for decades?
@The Risen: No, we shouldn’t. As I stated in another post the British created this mess and should be left twisting in the wind.
Here here! Now thats representing the views of the Irish Republic!!
@Lynn Mac Amhalghaidh: Trust me Lynn, this is not being done primarily for the benefit of the Republic.
@The Risen: trust a shinner? Are you mental?
@The Risen: but so you think Leo os right? Or what would you propose?
Varadkar is on the money ,anything that undermines what we have had since 1992 is living in the past and not the future ,The d u p,only care about keeping the status quo ,The six counties will remain on life support ,whether the british taxpayer wishes to continue to support this failed economic state indefinitely remains to be scene .
@Anthony Gallagher: yea, we are best to just for the north and its people. those brits created their mess now let them all wallow in it.
@Anthony Gallagher: Yes, and anything Leo says that annoys the DUP is just fine by me !!
Brexit process:
EU: What is the British proposal?
UK offers initial proposal
EU: No! This will not do!
UK: WTAF?
EU: What is the British proposal?
@Damocles: as a brit you would say that.
@Old Gabby Johnson: that’s what’s happening.
Also EU bill:
UK: What is the bill?
EU: 100 bn.
UK: What? How do you come to that figure?
EU: You agree you must pay?
UK: Yes, but why so much?
EU: How much do you think it should be?
UK: Explain your figures.
EU: Not until you give a detailed estimate of what you think you owe and it has been derided in social media.
@Old Gabby Johnson: Plenty of Brits aren’t saying that. But as an anglophobe, you don’t care
@Damocles:
EU: Pay up what you’ve already committed to before you leave.
UK: Oh but we’re Brits…something something Dunkirk, Johnny Foreigner, Rule Britannia
EU: Bye bye, enjoy those tariffs on your exports.
Leo can say whatever he likes, but it will be to no avail because the Tories look set to remain in hock to the DUP until after such decisions are made.
@Kieran Magennis: the U.K. is in a very weak negotiating position: they’re divided on what it is they want, the clock is counting down against them, May won’t be PM for much longer, the EU is solid on the outcome they want, the Border is one of the EU’s three not negotiables. In the end to get want, if they can decide what they want, on the other two issues the U.K. will throw NI to the wolves and agree to put the border in the Irish Sea
I am really looking forward to the border and the fallout from it. It will deliver a perfect dose of karma to those most deserving.
@james connolly: you mean the Irish gov!
@Adrian: wouldnt the irish gov benefit? Our duty it the highest around the eu
Leo has stuffed his head into the sand??
@Kerry Blake: id say he just couldn’t give a toss to be honest LOL
@james connolly: I’d agree that is what really worries me to be honest….
Maybe it’s time Ireland gets out of the EU
@Martin Laird: Not a chance!
@james connolly:
You spend a hell of a lot of time laughing aloud on the journal
It is about time a bit of cop on is applied by those whose politics are centre alighted in the north. A northern ireland post Brexit will seriously reduce living standards, there is no doubt about the matter. It has zero pull with regards attracting foreign investment when it is competing with Dublin a few miles down the road which is part of the EU and corporate tax of 12.5%.
Splitting a small island into two different trading blocks is madness. Northern Irish people wishing to remain part of the UK for economic reasons no longer has any foundation. From a southern point of view it’s an unnecessary problem with logistical and economic infrastructures to have two separate custom unions. A United Ireland is a symbiotic relationship for people on both sides of the border.
Too long politicians up North have been busy accusing each other for things a small minority of fundamentalists did in what’s become a more and more distant past. Time to leave the past in the past and plan for the future, building relationships on the island and benefiting all by uniting north and south.
The Brits created this mess so they can sort it out themselves.
Not just Britian imposing an economic border…..Will be a border with the entire EU the EU will also want a border imposed….The decision will be made by Britain and the EU 27 with qualified majority voting on the final deal…We won’t have a veto….
This is a logical and holding response from Leo and now like the rest if the EU we await the Tory response.
Well,if there is no land border,then that makes a return to the old border trade of smuggling not viable.
Yes let the Brits build the wall ,pay for it and maintain it and defend it .
@Brian O Reilly: as long as the wall is built I personally don’t care who pays for it
@james connolly: your not a taxpayer then James?
@james connolly: So you would be happy to further isolate and disenfranchise those of us who live and work in Donegal you obviously have never been up here or ever learned geography.
T-shark speaks like a true Transylvanian straight out of the coffin of his EU masters despite all the Moy-yah of his visit to Downing Street. It’s those molars I tell you, it’s those molars. Fine Gay at its usual duplicitous best.
Leo is right, we are the collateral damage in something we had no hand act or part in, why should we pick up the bill, or even part of the bill for a customs / economic frontier we never (nor did NI) wanted in the first place. If what Leo says annoys the DUP then its fine by me….
Then only way to avoid all of this mess is for the U.K. to stay in the customs union and I know that is stating the obvious but maybe now it will concentrate minds in the U.K… The U.K. can still leave the E.U. and negotiate to stay in the customs union. Why they wouldn’t do this is just cutting their nose to spite there face !!…
Paisley’s right in this case. Putting more pressure on the UK at this time increases the likelihood of a hard border with the North.
So basically, they can do what they want, eh Leo?
We must have a border. This is such nonsense posturing. We have to maintain the integrity of the EU single market and customs union, otherwise we’ll be kicked out of it. The Brits are leaving so we must have checks. there’s no way around it!
@Fred Jensen: and the Brits know they can’t secure the border. And they don’t really give a damn what the DUP think. So expect the sea to be the real border with a token effort to keep some quiet. DUP have backed themselves into a corner. May doesn’t really need them. DUP will need to try and force a GE within 18 months
@lavbeer:
I’d be happy with an Irish Sea border, but there’s no way in heck it’s going to happen. The British would essentially be splitting their own country up, which is the last thing they’re going to do when on the ropes.
@Fred Jensen: they will put in a technology or whatever they term it first line on defence and the ports will back that up. Can be spun whatever way it needs to be. Reality will kick in eventually even for the DUP
Do you have permission of the Irish people I think Leo you have to do what’s best for Ireland
King Leo the cool, hip and woke could hardly say anything else really.
“You want this mess, so you figure it out and pay for it. Doing so without causing too much stress on my side” is hardly a radical and certainly not an illogical or unhealthy stand/POV in this situation and locality.
EU/Brexit is a gift that will keep on giving and giving and giving for quite some time to come.
Was reading below article earlier. Also ‘just’ one of the 100s of things that have not really been thought about and now have to be trashed out and sorted (or not) in a short time frame and under intense pressure.
http://thebulletin.org/what-euratom-and-why-has-it-emerged-brexit-battleground10969
Ah here just in case I’m renewing me passport to go to the nearest shop buy milk .
On the plus they always ask to see inside my car and my dog loves the Gardai and the PSNI so we make more friends . Nothing else I can do. I ain’t Leo nor am I Theresa .
The EU will call the shots. And will take 45 mins on a stupid queue to me to go to enniskillen to get my dog food. Bring a book . Or write one…
ENGLAND CALLING UP,RESERVE ARMY, LEO THE PRAT MAKING A FOOL OF HIMSELF
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