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DAVID TRIMBLE, THE former First Minister of Northern Ireland, has criticised Leo Varadkar’s tenure of as Taoiseach, claiming his takeover from Enda Kenny has not been a positive change for the country.
Trimble, the former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, was disparaging about Varadkar’s time in the role when speaking on RTÉ Radio 1′s Today with Sean O’Rourke:
I don’t think it’s been a change for the better.
When pressed to characterise the period, he was hesitant to elaborate:
“I think I’ve said enough,” he told the presenter.
Trimble also dismissed any idea that Northern Ireland would be separated from the United Kingdom as part of the fallout from Brexit.
O’Rourke put it to Trimble that he is quoted as saying that paramilitaries could become active again because of the silly things the Irish government are saying. What are those silly things, the presenter asked.
Trimble responded:
The thought that they can separate Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom, that is what some people are talking about. By saying that somehow, we’re going to keep Northern Ireland within Europe, while the rest of the United Kingdom goes off.
Now that is really daft, it factually ignores the basic principles laid down in the agreement.
Trimble, who now sits in the House of Lords, was speaking to O’Rourke in light of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, which is being marked today.
The 1998 agreement set the blueprint for peace in Northern Ireland and included plans for the power-sharing northern assembly.
Britain’s exit from the UK, however, has seen some question the future of the agreement.
Trimble said last weekend that Dublin’s anti-hard-border stance endangers the future of the agreement and could provoke loyalists. Speaking to The Guardian, Trimble accused the Irish government of “saying silly things”.
If it looks as though the constitutional arrangements of the agreement, based on the principle of consent, are going to be superseded by so-called ‘special EU status’ then that is going to weaken the union and undermine the very agreement that Dublin says it wants to uphold.
Elsewhere, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said that the Irish government would have to “play hardball” with Britain over Brexit.
Ahern, another of the key figures behind the deal, told BBC2′s Newsnight that ordinary people would pull down any physical border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
There never will be a border. There is not going to be a physical border across Ireland because if you tried to put it there you wouldn’t have to wait for terrorism to take it down, people would just physically pull it down – the ordinary people.
Former US President Bill Clinton will receive the Freedom of the City of Belfast at an event today, having played an instrumental role in negotiations during the 1990s. Former senator George Mitchell, the US envoy who chaired the talks, will also be given the honour.
Last night, Clinton spoke about how the agreement, which he described as a “beacon of hope”, required “sacrifice and compromise”.
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Every supermarket in Holland has had this since before I arrived 28 years ago. We pay a deposit on our bottles, plastic and glass and we get our deposit back when we return the bottles
@John Brendan Mullen: That was also a thing in all eastern european countries. It disappeared as soon as multinationals hit the market. Problem with recycling does not lie with people but with companies who are constantly looking at how to increase profit.
I remember well returnable sturdy plastic bottles for coke/fanta etc… Companies figured out that it is cheaper for them to make single use cheap plastic bottles than to bother with shipping and cleaning returnable bottles for another use.
@Pat Patovic: It’s still a thing in Germany, old eastern for that matter, most prevelant in off licences/drink shops. Great system…
@John Brendan Mullen: it’s everywhere in Denmark too
@John Brendan Mullen: when I was staying with my aunt in Boston in 93, she used to take her empty cans to the supermarket and they had a counter near the entrance that gave you money off vouchers for your shopping for every can you returned!! Don’t know how much it was but enough to make her keep empty cans.
@John Brendan Mullen: same here in Germany
These machines have been in the Netherlands since at least 1994. We’re only 25 years behind on this one…
@Kiernan Gildea: I arrived in Holland in 1991 and they were already there.
@John Brendan Mullen: They had them beside the Red Sea when Moses parted it.
@Alan McDonald: is that how all the plastic ended up in the ocean?
@Alan McDonald: ha ha ha ha excellent
@Alan McDonald: brilliant
We had a glass bottle return in my Mam’s shop back in late 70s and early 80s and everyone brought back their glass and the various companies took em back for reuse then Tetra Pak and plastic became the norm and wiped the glass out. I always thought milk tasted nicer out of glass pint bottles. We also had a far cleaner countryside cos every child would be fighting over dumped bottles Togo and get 10p which would buy a good few sweets
Go deas le feiceáil. Ba chóir ceann a chur i nach siopa
@Séan Ó Nuanáin: Ta me Mahogany gas pipe. Nil aon Fáine Or agam!
These should be common place in every town village and city in Ireland.
No brainer!!! Why the hell is this only happening now??
@Devilsavocado: it’s Ireland
@Devilsavocado: we’re leprechauns. If it makes sense we will deny it for as long as possible until one day many years later someone will have a lightbulb moment…. Meanwhile the world’s moved on….
I’m 54. As long as I recall this was standard for glass bottles since I was small. Later plasticbottles and cans were added to the system.
This was in Finland.
@Nina Wallenius: time to return to glass bottles
Country is awash with glass
A broken bottle in the sea has majorly less impact on the environment than a plastic straw
@Means of escape: what about the energy used to make and transport the glass bottle? Also the natural resources used to make the glass bottle?
@John Horan: I may be wrong but I think the recycling process for glass is easier. Transport is more expensive as heavier but I think the environmental impact would still be less with glass
I remember politicians saying it wasn’t feasible to do this in Ireland. More down to the fact that they are to lazy and in bed with Multinational companies
I seen this in Germany 13 years ago and Ireland only gets it first one now typical ireland
Why cant we just be like the rest of the world and get actual coins for bringing bottles back? The homeless in germany and canada as i witnessed even go through the bins to get bottles. Less rubbish, more recycling and keeps people fed. Vouchers is a step indeed but it’s better to get that 25c back off the bottle. All adds up.
In Ireland they’ll probably set up a company first.. ‘Irish Plastic’, spend a lot of money on consultants, charge supermarkets a lot of money installing the machines….and then don’t follow through….
This is great to see but I guarantee you some little knackbag will put his hand in it, get injured and mammy will sue. Joe Duffy will hop on the bandwagon, call it a disgrace and the whole thing will be cancelled. This is ireland remember.
It’s a start but why does it take us so long to do everything that is good, surely these machine can be fitted in every town by Christmas
No where in this article or trial does it.mention a bottle deposit. Otherwise, at 10c a bottle refund, this is not viable.
@Lar Meyler: because it’s a trial….
@Diarmaid O’Riordáin: it’s 100% viable tax the bottle makers and allow normal people to recoup the money for recycling them
This is even a thing in some US states like Michigan. Has been for years.
8 cent after Tax
About fekn time …Simple idea
Great idea! I am living in frankfurt we have them over here really encourages ya to recyle plus you get paid
What can be done with the voucher? Is it cashed out in a shop?
Probably got to give 50 bottles back just to get the 10c.
But you are paying for the recycling. Look on the bottles for the recycling sign, that means there is already a levy to pay for the recycling. Rip Off Ireland at its finest
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